Fifa’s embrace of rapacious American capitalism may have found its limits in Miami, one of the entertainment capitals of the world.
Despite just seven tickets showing as available on their official website at kick-off there were thousands of empty seats – and empty concourses – throughout most of this game, a hard-fought draw which leaves Group H deadlocked following Cape Verde’s stunning draw with Spain earlier in the day.
Gianni Infantino has famously attempted to portray the World Cup as 104 Super Bowls, although judging by this turnout the locals require some convincing. While the official attendance was given as 62,764 out of a capacity of 64,478, many did not turn up until the second half, with Fifa sources claiming that a crash on the highway was responsible for the late arrivals.
Miami has more Instagram influencers per capita than Los Angeles and New York, which suggests that Fifa should have recruited some of them to help shift tickets rather than the ubiquitous IShowSpeed, whose hyperactivity has begun to irritate some A-list guests in Fifa’s VVIP areas.
As their city is built on celebrity and glamour Miami residents are not easily impressed, and even sports fans are spoilt for choice.
The Hard Rock Stadium has hosted six Super Bowls and is a regular staging post on the Formula One circuit, so a group stage World Cup game featuring two goal-shy sides was never going to be a red letter day.
The empty seats also showed the potential pitfalls of Fifa’s reliance on another US staple, the secondary ticketing market, as there is no doubt the tickets were sold.
Be the first to comment