2024/2025 International Club Football Thread

[Senator Clay Davis]

Americans don't care about their own soccer team, hence why every game against Mexico in the US is a road game. Do you really think they gonna start showing out to see Jordan play Paraguay? I mean come on lol. I don't know what the process would be to start changing venues, but using those 25-30,000 MLS soccer specific stadiums seems the logical play rather than having those matches at 65,000 seat NFL stadiums that will be lucky to be half full.

[GirlySports]

It's the world cup, people will watch anybody play anybody. For a comparable, look at German attendances in 2006. Every game sold out, Korea vs Togo, Ecuador vs Costa Rica, Paraguay vs Trinidad and Tobago!

And I went to the 1994 world cup, it was awesome.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Germans love soccer. Americans do not. 94 was a novelty as the first real soccer tournament in America, and it was also a 16 team event with a true best of the best. Again, no disrespect to Jordan, but lol no one wants to watch Jordan. You think Buckwheat from KC living in his double wide is spending money to watch Jordan play in 100 degree weather? Dare to dream, I guess. Now if the whole thing was in Canada and Mexico, different story, and I expect those games to have no ticket issues. But a lot of the games in America are gonna struggle to generate interest, guaranteed.

[GirlySports]

You're underestimating the popularity of soccer in the US. They just ran two simultaneous summer tournaments that nobody cares about and had decent turnouts.

The World Cup will smash attendance records. First of all, they're in football stadiums in MLS cities. So I assume that MLS season ticket holders will get priority. Then you've got to buy tickets in advance of the draw or you're not getting any. Also, if you bought World Club World Cup tickets this month, that'll bump you up the line. There will be waiting lists. I'm waiting for individual ticket sales for Vancouver, Seattle and Dallas. I'll let you know if I get any.

Anyone else put their name in for ticket interest waiting for updates?

[Senator Clay Davis]

They're going to end up close to 1.5 million unsold tickets for the Club World Cup, so if that's "decent turnout" then holy crap that is grim. And we know the Mexican fans are propping up the Gold Cup numbers as always, but they won't be in America until the later rounds if they get there. Given that FIFA's #1 goal with ticket prices is to push to extortion limits, I guess we'll see if MLS fans want to be robbed. But the smart ones will know that by May 2026 some of these tickets will be under $20 so if there is solid ticket sales it'll be once the prices collapse.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

You're underestimating the popularity of soccer in the US. They just ran two simultaneous summer tournaments that nobody cares about and had decent turnouts.

The World Cup will smash attendance records. First of all, they're in football stadiums in MLS cities. So I assume that MLS season ticket holders will get priority. Then you've got to buy tickets in advance of the draw or you're not getting any. Also, if you bought World Club World Cup tickets this month, that'll bump you up the line. There will be waiting lists. I'm waiting for individual ticket sales for Vancouver, Seattle and Dallas. I'll let you know if I get any.

Anyone else put their name in for ticket interest waiting for updates?

I put my name in and I will almost surely go to some games.

But they're already playing games with the MLS ticketholders. I know someone with season tickets in Seattle, and at first they were like 'how many tickets do you want?' and that was later rescinded. At this point, they think that they can get some tickets, but no one knows what is happening.

[MegaErtz]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Germans love soccer. Americans do not. 94 was a novelty as the first real soccer tournament in America, and it was also a 16 team event with a true best of the best. Again, no disrespect to Jordan, but lol no one wants to watch Jordan. You think Buckwheat from KC living in his double wide is spending money to watch Jordan play in 100 degree weather? Dare to dream, I guess. Now if the whole thing was in Canada and Mexico, different story, and I expect those games to have no ticket issues. But a lot of the games in America are gonna struggle to generate interest, guaranteed.

The last 16 team tournament was in 1978!

[devo22]

Jhon Duran goes to Fenerbahce on loan ... six months after bolting to Al-Nassr for an insane fee (€77m).

Don't go and play in Saudi Arabia, kids.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by devo22

Jhon Duran goes to Fenerbahce on loan ... six months after bolting to Al-Nassr for an insane fee (€77m).

Don't go and play in Saudi Arabia, kids.

I'd absolutely sell my soul for a fraction of that fee. Sign me up!

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

They're going to end up close to 1.5 million unsold tickets for the Club World Cup, so if that's "decent turnout" then holy crap that is grim. And we know the Mexican fans are propping up the Gold Cup numbers as always, but they won't be in America until the later rounds if they get there. Given that FIFA's #1 goal with ticket prices is to push to extortion limits, I guess we'll see if MLS fans want to be robbed. But the smart ones will know that by May 2026 some of these tickets will be under $20 so if there is solid ticket sales it'll be once the prices collapse.

Club World Cup is a made up tournament that charged World Cup level prices, the ticket issues were predictable.

The actual World Cup would be able to charge these prices and have no issue, because it's not just locals buying the tickets but an event people will travel world wide to attend.

The biggest risk to ticket sales in the US for the World Cup is actually Trump...because the big issue is going to be if tourism in the U.S. continues to be impacted and nobody wants to travel to the U.S to watch these games.

[Senator Clay Davis]

What is going to make this PSG superteam especially hard to stop is how they can take 3-5 months off during the French League so they'll be fresh for Europe.

[Locke]

Lyon's relegation to Ligue 2 has been overturned by the French football federation on Wednesday after an appeal by the club, jeopardising Crystal Palace's hopes of playing in the Europa League next season.

The DNCG, a French football authority, sanctioned Lyon on June 24 and relegated them due to financial issues. Lyon lodged an appeal and on Wednesday they presented to a committee with a new plan to convince them to overturn the original decision.

The main issue was a debt of €541 million ($634m) owed by the club and a massively inflated wage bill without much cash flow. To obtain their place back in Ligue 1, Lyon need a cash injection of €100m and to bring another €100m to serve as a guarantee for the next two years.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/...e-europe-hopes

Lyon saved.

[Locke]

So evidently the secret to winning is not having Kylian Mbappe on your team.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Locke

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/...e-europe-hopes

Lyon saved.

A bit unrelated, but invite the annual Brazilian and Argentian champion to the Champions League instead of the 5th place Prem team. Would be fun and interesting. And with and the money the South American sides would get from it, they would have no problems with the travel I would imagine.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

A bit unrelated, but invite the annual Brazilian and Argentian champion to the Champions League instead of the 5th place Prem team. Would be fun and interesting. And with and the money the South American sides would get from it, they would have no problems with the travel I would imagine.

No way European teams are flying to South America. Especially the smaller teams.
So they would have to play their home games in Europe which defeats the purpose.

If FIFA had a brain, they could do a smaller club world cup every 2 years with 12 teams, but they had to go full FIFA.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Palace demoted to Conference League.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1943692096289808784

[Locke]

Shenanigans!!

[Locke]

I've got to start following the Bolivian League....they've got teams like 'University of Wine' and 'The Strongest.'

Which are bold names, I like it. The Bolivians aren't messing around.

[Locke]

The former Arsenal and Villarreal midfielder was a key part of the Oviedo team that secured promotion, scoring one of the goals to help his hometown club win their promotion playoff against Mirandes last month.

https://global.espn.com/football/sto...-oviedo-laliga

Good for him! Lets see how it goes.