The current Club World Cup highlighted potential issues that may arise at next year's World Cup. This was reported by Euro-football.ru.
Many questions have emerged regarding the organization of the tournaments. Let's analyze them in detail.
Firstly, issues regarding the number of spectators were clearly visible. Football is not the most popular sport in the USA.
Here, football is less popular compared to basketball, baseball, American football, and hockey. Over time, ticket prices for championship games between clubs have decreased.
Although initial prices for group stage games ranged from $100 to $200, due to low demand, some tickets were sold for $20-24 a few weeks before the game. For example, the match between “Inter Miami” and “Al-Ahli” attracted only 20,000 spectators in a 65,000-seat stadium.
This situation particularly indicates a lack of interest in seeing stars like Messi. Secondly, infrastructure issues are also significant.
For instance, the game between “PSG” and “Atletico” was held at the “Rose Bowl” stadium, which was built in 1922. Questions arose regarding the stadium's old age, worn-out scoreboard and seats, as well as the quality of the pitch.
Additionally, only the Atlanta stadium has a retractable roof; other venues lack such facilities. Thirdly, weather conditions also posed serious problems.
It became evident that holding games when temperatures reached +40 degrees was challenging. During the match between “PSG” and “Atletico,” players faced significant difficulties, negatively impacting their performance.
Moreover, several games during the group stage were halted due to strong rain, storms, and even tornado threats. According to US law, if lightning is observed near the field, the game is immediately stopped, and spectators must leave the stadium.
This situation significantly reduced the duration of the games. Overall, it is clear that resolving these issues within a year will be difficult.
Therefore, organizers must pay serious attention to these matters when hosting future World Cups. This will not only increase the number of spectators but also improve the quality of the games.
This, in turn, will ensure the successful conduct of international tournaments.
