The expanded FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) 2025 delivered a $1 billion global broadcast deal and secured $174.5 million in sponsorships. Yet, the tournament struggled to fill stadiums, with 27 of 64 matches played before less than half-capacity crowds. High ticket prices and limited new sponsor interest pointed to FIFA’s challenge in converting commercial ambition into genuine fan engagement, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Reportedly, the recent contracts secured by FIFA in the lead-up to the CWC contributed to merely 24.7% of the total value linked to the tournament. The commercial interest in the event was largely due to the participation of its most prominent teams, which are typically from Europe and South America.
GlobalData’s latest Sport report, “The Business of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025,” reveals that 27 out of the 64 matches were below 50% capacity, and 3,412 fans attended the match between Ulsan HD FC and Mamelodi Sundowns, a common theme throughout the tournament which FIFA struggling to fill stadiums.
Prior to the tournament, FIFA signed an exclusive $1 billion deal with sports streaming service DAZN to broadcast the tournament for free worldwide. The December 2024 announcement marked the first-ever global broadcast deal for a FIFA tournament and ended a year-long search for a partner.
Olivia Snooks, sport analyst at GlobalData, comments: “It took 16 months for FIFA to announce its first sponsor after naming the US as host, highlighting the rights being marketed at too a high price point and potential concerns around the new format. The tournament’s new sponsorship deals that were exclusive to the CWC represented only $45.5 million, just 24.7% of the total sponsorship value. Even the most significant of these agreements, for example with the Public Investment Fund, was tied to broader FIFA interests, which was finalized after Saudi Arabia secured 2034 World Cup hosting rights.
The tournament’s prize pool of $1 billion was strategically distributed among the 32 competing clubs, with $525 million allocated for participation and $475 million based on performance. This distribution was supported by FIFA’s global media rights agreement, particularly the $1 billion deal with DAZN for exclusive broadcasting rights.
Chelsea, the tournament winners, received approximately $114.7 million, a critical financial boost considering their revenues were adversely affected by not qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in the 2024-25 season.
Snooks continues: “Auckland City, despite finishing with the smallest prize at $3.3 million, experienced a remarkable financial advantage, earning nearly seven times their annual revenue for 2024. This windfall positions them favorably within New Zealand’s soccer landscape, allowing for potential investments in player development and recruitment that other clubs may struggle to match; this has the ability to provide Auckland City with a huge competitive edge within New Zealand.”
The tickets for the 2025 CWC were available for purchase through multiple channels, including the official FIFA ticketing portal and authorized ticket partners such as Ticketmaster. The pricing of tickets varied depending on several factors, such as the match stage, seating category, and stadium location. FIFA implemented a dynamic pricing model for general sale tickets for the tournament, a strategy in which prices vary in response to demand. Consequently, FIFA has been able to reduce prices for certain matches due to challenges in ticket sales.
Snooks concludes: “FIFA faced significant criticism during the tournament due to initially high-ticket prices. This issue was compounded by the notable presence of empty seats. To accommodate a larger number of fans, the tournament utilized NFL-sized stadiums as well as soccer-specific venues. The subsequent reduction in ticket prices throughout the event indicated FIFA’s urgent efforts to boost attendance at the various locations.”
