Stadium almost full, security… In Miami, the Club World Cup starts without a major misstep

FIFA President Gianni Infantino must have breathed a sigh of relief. The target of much criticism, particularly for adding to an already overcrowded schedule , the new Club World Cup format opened without a single major misstep on Saturday, June 14, with the inaugural match between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Egyptian club Al Ahly. The match, which ended in a 0-0 draw, certainly didn't deliver an unforgettable spectacle on the pitch.

But the stakes were elsewhere, as concerns had been mounting among the leaders of the international body ahead of this match. First and foremost, there was the fear of having a half-empty stadium for the first match of this competition, expanded to 32 teams, which Mr. Infantino has done everything he can to promote in recent months.

Ultimately, the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, which can hold 65,000 people, was nearly full, with an attendance of 60,927, according to organizers. This was an unexpected figure, given that a large number of tickets were still on sale in the days leading up to the match. FIFA's sale of tickets in the final stretch seems to have paid off. After initially offering tickets for over €300, the organization decided to lower prices by more than 80% to avoid empty stands from the opening match.

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