The Club World Cup will soon be in Atlanta. Tickets are still available.
A combination of ticket prices, event fatigue, unfamiliarity and anticipation are some of the reasons soccer supporters in Atlanta said they aren’t overly excited about attending this summer’s Club World Cup matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The city is scheduled to host six matches in the tournament, starting with a group-stage match June 16 and finishing with a quarterfinal July 5. Some of the teams that will be here, Chelsea and Manchester City, are among the best in the world.
But potentially getting to watch Erling Haaland or Cole Palmer or Lionel Messi, who should be here with Inter Miami, has a price. Using StubHub on Wednesday, prices for a ticket start at $657, excluding fees and taxes, for a group-stage match and go as high as $11,137 for the quarterfinal. Using Ticketmaster, FIFA’s provider, prices for a ticket start at $83.65, excluding fees and taxes, for a group-stage match and go as high as $657.85 for the quarterfinal.
“Don’t really care to see any of the teams playing for those prices,” Jordan Comer posted on X. “Also, saving money for the real thing next summer!”
The real thing is the World Cup. Atlanta and Mercedes-Benz Stadium are scheduled to host eight matches in that tournament.
It’s a lot of soccer in the city.
In addition to Atlanta United’s 17 home matches, the city in the past few years has hosted part of the SheBelieves Cup, the Leagues Cup, friendlies between Premier League teams, with two more on tap this summer, and Copa America matches.
That may be why FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was in town last week to promote the Club World Cup, reminded people that tickets are still available.
“So much sports, and tournaments ran throughout the year that it feels like overkill,” Juan Alonso, who lives in South Georgia, posted on X. “That excitement and buzz is lost somewhat.”
Some in Atlanta are excited.
“Going to a few games,” Smyrna’s Adam Dittmer posted on X. “I think it will be an experience, but it lacks some meaning if you are not a fan of the clubs. Seeing great teams in their home stadiums is also part of the appeal in seeing some teams.”
Not understanding the difference between the Club World Cup and World Cup is a hurdle for casual sports fans.
The Club World Cup is a tournament for teams that play in leagues, such as Manchester City in the Premier League. The tournament was first held in 2000. Teams that win each FIFA region’s Champions League, or place high, are among those that qualify. The prize money has increased from $28 million distributed to eight teams when it started to $1 billion distributed to 32 teams this summer. Real Madrid has the most championships (5).
The World Cup is for national teams, such as the United States, Brazil or Argentina. Some of the players who will compete for their clubs in this summer’s Club World Cup will compete for their national teams in next summer’s World Cup. Next year’s host nations are the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Regardless of how some Atlantans feel about the Club World Cup, there still will be thousands of people attending the matches in the city because the teams have passionate supporters. FIFA, which declined to provide ticket sales totals, said people from more than 130 countries have purchased tickets for tournament matches.
Former Atlanta United Vice President Carlos Bocanegra, speaking Wednesday in interviews set up by FIFA and focused on the Club World Cup, said the soccer that people could see at this summer’s tournament may be better than what they may see in next summer’s World Cup.
Bocanegra, who played for the U.S. more than 100 times, said one of the benefits of the Club World Cup is that players already know one another. Unlike when playing for a national team, when players have just a few days to learn each other and work on what the manager wants, the club teams have been playing together and working with the manager for months to years.
“The football could be a little bit more fluid,” he said.
Bocanegra also discussed the spectacle of the supporters at the games may add to the enjoyment.
“If people don’t know about the Flamengoes of the world or Palmeiras or Boca Juniors or River Plate, they’re really going to see how big of a following that those teams have when they show up to the stadium and watch these teams play,” he said. “They are iconic teams and have massive following, not only in their home country, but here in the United States because we have so many expats from all over the world. So I do think that’s going to be a pretty cool experience, and just a big party for these people to enjoy watching their teams play and competing against the best of the best.”
Former Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger on Wednesday said that those who do watch the Club World Cup may get a chance to see not only the bona fide stars such as Real Madrid’s Vinicius, but also players who are unknowns now but can become world-class.
“Hope I will have surprises from Africa, from Asia, from Oceania, from South America, and that we discover some players, and this tournament could help us to discover some new players,” he said. “It’s a unique opportunity for players who don’t go to the World Cup because we have about 87 or 90 different countries who will be represented by players who do not go to the World Cup and can win the (Club) World Cup.”
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Atlanta United’s 2025 schedule
Feb. 22 Atlanta United 3, Montreal 2
March 1 Charlotte 2, Atlanta United 0
March 8 Atlanta United 0, New York Red Bulls 0
March 16 Miami 2, Atlanta United 1
March 22 Atlanta United 2, Cincinnati 2
March 29 Atlanta United 4, NYCFC 3
April 5 Atlanta United 1, Dallas 1
April 12 New England 1, Atlanta United 0
April 19 Philadelphia 3, Atlanta United 0
April 26 at Orlando, 7 p.m., Apple, Fox
May 3 vs. Nashville, 2:30 p.m., Apple, Fox
May 10 at Chicago, 2:30 p.m., Apple
May 14 at Austin, 8:30 p.m., Apple
May 17 vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 25 vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m., Apple
May 28 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 31 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 12 at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 25 at Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 28 at Miami, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 5 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 12 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 16 vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m., Apple, FS1
July 19 vs. Charlotte, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 26 vs. Seattle, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 30 vs. Necaxa, Leagues Cup
Aug. 2. vs. Pumas in Orlando, Leagues Cup
Aug. 6 vs. Atlas, Leagues Cup
Aug. 9 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 16 at Colorado, 9:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 24 vs. Toronto, 5 p.m., Apple
Aug. 30 at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Apple
Sept. 13 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 20 vs. San Diego, 4:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 27 at New England, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 5 at LAFC, 10:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 18 vs. D.C. United, 6 p.m., Apple
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