Watch Messi for just $4? FIFA slashes prices for Club World Cup opener

Football fans could watch Lionel Messi for as little as $4 as FIFA slashed ticket prices for the opening game of the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States. Messi-led Inter Miami will take on Egyptian club Al-Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 14.

FIFA extended an offer to Miami Dade College students, providing a single ticket at $20 with an additional benefit of receiving up to four free tickets, as reported by The Athletic.

Email promotions are currently being distributed to Miami Dade College affiliates, following their partnership with FIFA announced in April 2024.


The collaboration enables students to undertake internships at FIFA's Miami office, while the college receives exhibits on loan from FIFA's museum. According to FIFA's partnership announcement from the previous year, Miami Dade College maintains an enrolment exceeding 100,000 students.

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When a student obtains five tickets, they can watch Messi perform at a remarkably low cost of $4 per seat. This pricing structure benefits the locals significantly, yet falls considerably short of FIFA's initial vision for this competition, which they had positioned as the premier club football tournament globally.

FIFA has been selling general tickets for the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup using a dynamic pricing model, where ticket prices rise or fall based on demand. The noticeable drop in prices for certain matches highlights FIFA's ongoing challenges in filling stadiums for the tournament, despite its global appeal.

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According to The Athletic, as of last Tuesday, ticket prices for Inter Miami's match against Al-Ahly have fallen to $55 on Ticketmaster, FIFA's official ticketing platform for the tournament.

The current price represents a 50% reduction from May's rates, while January's lowest-priced seats were $230, and December's post-draw prices stood at $349.

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FIFA anticipates that these lower prices, combined with increased promotional efforts in the week leading up to the tournament, will boost attendance and excitement for the newly revamped tournament.

FIFA hopes the affordable pricing will attract new fans and create a vibrant atmosphere for the tournament’s debut in North America, where soccer continues to grow in popularity.

But, the big question is whether this pricing strategy for the locals will succeed in attracting a larger audience or not.