The Cupdate: Matt in the Stands at the FIFA Club World Cup
Matt Cramer reviews the FIFA Club World Cup from the fan perspective - was it worth the money for our Munich man in the stands?
25 years ago, FIFA set off to create a tournament — now the Club World Cup — that would eventually come to pit the best team from each of the six football playing continents against one another in a yearly competition. Europe (UEFA) and South America (CONMEBOL) received automatic byes, and the other four continents squared off to see who gets a chance at the global giants of the sport. For European teams, it was a nice way to add a feather to their caps after a championship season, while in South America it gave clubs an opportunity to show the rest of the world that their teams can match up with anyone.
Then news from FIFA came that they would be expanding the competition from six to thirty-two teams in a monthlong tournament. The United States, in a prelude to hosting the World Cup in 2026, would be the guinea pig for the updated format.
European clubs were mixed on the taxing nature of the tournament after a long season of intense competition from their league schedule, domestic cups, and often deep runs through Champions/Europa Leagues.
FIFA responded with a $1 billion prize pool, with the eventual champion walking away with $125 million.
MLS teams involved (Inter Miami CF, Seattle Sounders FC, and LAFC) received $10 million for their participation, $2 million for a group stage win, and $1 million for a draw. To put that in perspective, Inter Miami FC — with the highest wage bill in MLS at $41.68 million — could recoup approximately half of their yearly salary obligations by advancing to the knockout rounds (they did).
Even European giants like FC Bayern Munich, Real Madrid CF, and current continental champions Paris Saint-Germain F.C. could not walk away from the potential windfall. Their fans, however, had no trouble voicing their opinions.
You’ve heard the complaints before: FIFA is a corrupt entity always seeking another cash grab, particularly in a host nation with a political climate that is as off-putting to foreign visitors as the event’s organisers. Yet each team showed up, endured the intense summer weather, and put on a solid showing for fans around the globe over the last three weeks.
While the narrative was constantly about smaller turnouts, intense heat, and odd timing of matches (in Charlotte’s case, 3:00 PM starts in a 100 degree open stadium), the twelve match sites had an average attendance of 34,746 over forty-eight games of group stage play.
All this set the stage for an exhausting yet fun journey over a sixteen day period.
Personally, I just finished year seventeen of teaching and I had been saving all year to go wherever my favorite club Bayern Munich would take me. I even wrote a tedious research paper for UNCC on animation in the classroom (shout out to Matt at the Movies at Y’all Weekly) to help secure needed funds. My odyssey featured three cities, six games, nine teams, various modes of transportation, the baking southern sun, and most importantly world class football from some of the most passionate fan bases I’ve ever sat with. Today we will talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 tourney.
Match #1: FC Bayern Munich vs Club Atlético Boca Juniors
FIFA Club World Cup Group Stage
FC Bayern Munich 2 - 1 Club Atlético Boca Juniors
Date: 6/20/25
Location: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)
Attendance: 63,587 (Sell Out)
Seats: 6th row lower bowl corner ($125 apiece)
The Good
This crowd was INSANE. The sellout crowd was 95% Boca Juniors fans that seemingly brought every supporter from Buenos Aires to shake the stadium with their chants for two straight hours.
Kristin and I had the pleasure of sitting next to a German expat, and we both marveled at the Boca fanbase and the energy they brought. I asked my German friend and fellow Bayern fan Marcel — who was also at the match — if he had ever been in a stadium atmosphere like that in Europe, to which he quickly replied, “No.” It was the most visceral fan experience I’ve had attending a football match.
The Bad
The funny thing about Hard Rock Stadium is that it’s in the middle of nowhere. It’s sort of residential, there are zero places to eat or drink, and it’s a forty-minute ride from either Miami or Fort Lauderdale (where we were staying). Our driver got my wife and I as close as possible to the field given the traffic, and we hitched a ride on an ATV Gator ($15 apiece), which brought us through neighborhood back streets for two miles until we got within a mile walking distance.
The Athletic wrote a piece about the insanity of trying to navigate to the stadium, which is worth a read on its own. An absolute shit show.
Highlight of the Match
The German heavyweights were the favorites, and came away with a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Bundesliga Golden Boot (the Kicker-Torjägerkanone) winner Harry Kane and wunderkind winger Michael Olise.
However, when Boca striker Miguel Merentiel scored in the 66th minute off an electric run to tie the match, the stadium absolutely erupted. My wife and I were covered in beer and all we could do was smile at the explosion of joy from the Boca Juniors fanbase. I will forever remember this match.
Match #2 - Manchester City F.C. vs Al Ain FC
FIFA Club World Cup Group Stage
Manchester City F.C. 6 - 0 Al Ain FC
Date: 6/22/25
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)
Attendance: 40,392
Seats: 2nd row midfield ($325 apiece)
The Good
Two days later I was back in the skies heading to Atlanta.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is an absolute treasure. Opening in 2017, it has a retractable roof to allow for climate-controlled play and is a world-class home to both the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS squad Atlanta United FC. Food and drink prices are lower than at any major league stadium I’ve ever been to, and it’s just an incredible venue.
My brother-in-law Tim is a massive Man City fan, so I couldn’t resist a chance to see one of the world’s best teams in action. As my flight landed from Fort Lauderdale to Charlotte I dropped off Kristin, picked Tim up, and immediately hit another flight down.
We even stayed on one of the top floors of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, which doubled for the TVA Building in the Disney+ series Loki, and it did not sit well with my fear of heights.
However, when we reached the second row at midfield at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, my jaw dropped. The perks that come with these seats put club level at Bank of America to shame. They not only had a special lounge but an even more elite “club within the club” for the real high rollers. To watch legendary coach Pep Guardiola work his magic from so close was a real treat for any football fan.
The Bad
Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates was simply outmatched by the 2023 Champions League winners. We knew these types of matches would happen — as they often did in group stages of the FIFA World Cup — but a 6-0 trouncing made it feel like child’s play, or that Manchester City were playing a different sport at times. The match was titled the “Abu Dhabi Derby” as the younger brother and owner of Man City Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan was victorious over his older brother Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s squad.
Highlight of the Match
Claudio Echeverri, the nineteen new year old new addition midfielder from River Plate (also in the CWC), hit a beautiful free kick from outside the box that curved over the wall and dropped under the crossbar freezing Al Ain’s keeper, giving Man City a 2-0 advantage.
It was the prettiest of all the goals scored on the night in a match that featured 74% possession and twenty-one shots from the winning side.
Match #3 - FC Bayern Munich vs S.L. Benfica
FIFA Club World Cup Group Stage
S.L. Benfica 1 - 0 FC Bayern Munich
Date: 6/24/25
Location: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)
Attendance: 33,287
Seats: 6th row, lower corner ($105 apiece)
The Good
This was a dream scenario for me. To be able to watch my favorite club Bayern Munich — in a rematch from this season’s Champions League group stage — with all my close friends and family within three miles of my doorstep was like getting an early critics’ screening of a new Paul Thomas Anderson film. I threw on my lederhosen and headed to the pre-game official team meet up at Clutch, a bar just west of the stadium.
We had a packed house of Bayern fans drinking beers, taking pictures with the Bundesliga trophy (the Meisterschale), and most importantly staying cool in the near-100 degree temperatures before 3 P.M. kickoff.
The Bad
This match was held at 3 PM EDT in an open air stadium with no cover on one of the hottest days of the “heat dome” that affected large swaths of the country. FIFA chose not to move the game to a later time period despite the heat since this was prime viewing time in the European markets, so players as well as fans were forced to suffer the wrath of both Mother Nature and manmade climate change.
Bayern, who needed a win or tie to clinch the group, chose to rest their starters due to the extreme temperatures, which led to a very sloppy 1-0 Benfica victory. The sour cherry on top was that thousands of Bayern fans — myself included — had already secured tickets to the knockout round in Charlotte just four days later, expecting the club to win the group and play Chelsea.
I started to see this CWC journey going down a dark hole. There was no going back for either my personal well-being or my bank account.
Highlight of the Match
Getting to see the rekordmeisters up close, especially club legend Thomas Müller who would be leaving the club after the tourneys end, was a positive note on an otherwise shit day of football.
Matches #4 & #5 - S.L. Benfica vs Chelsea F.C. / Inter Milan vs Fluminense FC
FIFA Club World Cup — Round of 16
S.L. Benfica 1 - 4 Chelsea F.C.
Date: 6/28/25
Location: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)
Attendances: 25,929 & 20,030
Costs: 4th row lower corner ($300 apiece) and Club Level (Free — Thanks Priscilla!)
The Good
As you can see from the combination of matches there was little joy to be had. Benfica/Chelsea featured a Reese James 64’ minute strike to put Chelsea up 1-0, followed by a two hour thunderstorm delay less than five minutes later. All the real fireworks happened to less than 5,000 fans who chose to ride out the storm, as Chelsea exploded in extra time to win 4-1. On Tuesday, the only real positive was seeing Fluminense's roaring fanbase explode as the Brazilian club caused a major upset with a 2-0 victory over the recent Champions League runners-up.
FIFA Club World Cup — Round of 16
Inter Milan 0 - 2 Fluminense FC
Date: 6/30/25
Location: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)
Attendance: 20,030
Seats: Club Level (Free — Thanks Priscilla!)
The Bad
Both matches once again were played early in the day with temperatures in the low 90s at kickoff. All three European teams seemed to be running on empty, especially Inter Milan, who seemed particularly uninspired. The counter charging Fluzão proved once again that you can never count out a legendary South American club.
Beyond the matches, paying top dollar in hopes of watching my club that day did not sit well with my psyche. My friend Marcel and I attended both matches and did not care to sit through the weather delay, instead choosing to watch a friend DJ on an uptown skyrise rooftop instead (the correct choice). By the end of the second match (Inter/Flum), I felt like Charles Marlow going deeper into the jungle, losing myself in order to find the elusive enigmatic Kurtz (Bayern) at any cost.
Highlight of the Matches
Just an amazing troll job outside the team hotel in uptown Charlotte as a Fluminense supporter struck at the egos of the Milan fanbase in the most heinous way possible. He put ketchup on a slice of 7-Eleven pizza to the horror of Italians across the globe. The team and its fans did not recover from this culinary declaration of war.
Match #6 - FC Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
FIFA Club World Cup — Quarterfinals
FC Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
Date: 7/5/25
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)
Attendance: 66,937
Seats: 1st row, lower bowl corner ($225)
The Good
I am through the looking glass of football psychosis after sixteen days of travel and sport.
I left at 5:30 AM to travel down to Atlanta for the noon kickoff. The plan was to watch the match, race home directly after, and be at Bank of America Stadium for Charlotte FC vs Orlando City SC by 7:15 PM.
While I was running on fumes, there was so much excitement in the air to keep my adrenaline pumping. This was the premier match of the quarterfinal round. The Bavarian giants versus the current Champions League winner PSG, whom most consider to be the top team in the world. There was endless talent on each side of the pitch, and the question of if Bayern's midfield could hold up to the relentless counter attacking pressure of the speedy PSG side.
The game played like a chess match, with PSG having the upper hand in on target opportunities. This was easily the most well-played technical match of my six, and PSG’s Désiré Doué finally found the net in the 78th minute with a beautiful left footed near post strike that froze Manuel Neuer.
Bayern had two goals called offside, and after two late PSG red cards never seized their chance to equalize. In the 6th minute of second half stoppage time, the current frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or, Ousmane Dembélé, countered despite PSG being down two men to strike the death blow, giving the French squad the 2-0 win.
The Bad
In extra time of the first half, Bayern’s prized golden boy Jamal Musiala — who was making his first start in months coming off injury — raced toward the PSG touchline to secure a deflected ball. At the same time, PSG’s 6’5” goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma did a full extension dive to control the ball, tangling with Musiala. The gruesome aftermath was a dislocated ankle and fracture of Musiala’s left fibula, an injury that saw players on the field cover their distraught faces.
This particular scene was exactly what European fanbases had decried for months leading up to what they saw as just another FIFA cash grab. Many supporters believed the Club World Cup would tax their already tired players from recovering before the next season. Bayern supporters even went as far as hanging banners to show their disdain for the global football governing body in the second half of the match.
Highlight of the Match
Watching a football masterclass between two of the world's greatest clubs was a highlight on its own. Seeing Thomas Müller’s legendary Bayern career come to a close felt bittersweet, but “Radio Müller” gave his all to club and country for twenty-five years. It was an honor to wear his jersey on his final Bayern match day.
See You Next Year, FIFA
There was a lot of uncertainty, displeasure, and even downright contempt for FIFA as well as the hosting nation for the newly expanded version of the Club World Club. As a fan it was a mixed bag. Prices for marquee matchups were excellent while planning ahead securing tickets for lesser attended games was a complete ripoff. Some stadiums should have only featured nighttime kickoffs as it hurt both the quality of gameplay as well as fan participation.
The Men’s World Cup is less than a year away and I hope that FIFA is able to work out the kinks by then.
My friend asked me a question about the tournament: “After all this crazy travel, heat, and money spent, would you have followed Bayern to the championship match at MetLife stadium in New Jersey?” Without even thinking I responded, “You bet your ass I would have. Mia San Mia!”
Here’s to a great final, Charlotte showing that it is indeed a “soccer city,” and having the opportunity to be treated to some of the finest clubs of world football. Prost!
Matt at the Match: FIFA Fan Experience By the Numbers
* Venue includes transportation, ease of entry, and overall facility
** FIFA Competence includes temperature at kickoff and stadium selection for time of day
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