Chelsea began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in front of tens of thousands of empty seats at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, raising fresh questions about American interest in the revamped global tournament.
The match kicked off at 3pm local time on a working Monday, and despite the venue’s 71,000-seat capacity, only 22,137 fans were in attendance. The top tier was closed entirely, while the bottom tier was more than half empty.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca acknowledged the unusual atmosphere. “I think the environment was a bit strange, the stadium was almost empty,” he said. “We are professional and we have to adapt to the situation, to the environment.”
LAFC were late additions to the tournament after Mexican side León were disqualified, and their small contingent of around 150 traveling ultras generated most of the atmosphere in an otherwise quiet ground.
Tickets were priced dynamically, with last-minute options dropping to as low as £26. However, pricing confusion and weekday scheduling have contributed to sluggish sales across the tournament. Atlanta’s stadium is usually home to the best-supported MLS side, Atlanta United, who average over 44,000 fans per game. Notably, Chelsea had drawn more than 70,000 fans at the same stadium in 2022 during a pre-season friendly.
The lackluster turnout in Atlanta mirrors concerns about interest in FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup format, which is being viewed as a litmus test ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Midweek afternoon kickoff times and limited local relevance are seen as major deterrents.
Some matches have drawn large crowds—like PSG’s 80,619-strong audience and Inter Miami’s opener attended by over 60,000—but others have struggled, including Flamengo vs ES Tunis, which drew just 25,797 to a 67,000-seat venue in Philadelphia.
FIFA has insisted that ticket sales are within expectations, but with many matches still showing thousands of unsold seats and fans questioning the relevance of the competition, the mixed attendances could signal a disconnect between FIFA’s global ambitions and local fan engagement.
