Chelsea's Club World Cup campaign began in front of a sparsely populated stadium in Atlanta this evening, as their match against Los Angeles FC was marred by thousands of empty seats visible on TV broadcasts.
The poor attendance continues a troubling pattern for Fifa’s expanded tournament, which has struggled to attract spectators since its opening fixtures.
Lionel Messi kicked the competition off with a lacklustre 0-0 draw against Egyptian side Al-Ahly.
Before the game, it had been reported that tickets were being sold for just $4, despite prices starting at $349 just six months earlier.
15:00 kick-off on a workday and LAFC being outside of Los Angeles have both impacted the attendance here. Stadium typically seats 42,500 for football games and 71,000 for NFL.🏟️ pic.twitter.com/9KOmWcZ80p
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) June 16, 2025
The decision to reduce ticket prices came amid somewhat of a crisis for organisers, who were forced to scramble for ideas to get more people into the stadium.
Bayern Munich then dispatched amateur New Zealand side Auckland FC 10-0, demonstrating the extreme disparity in quality at the competition.
According to Opta, Bayern Munich are ranked sixth in the world, whereas Auckland are ranked 5,074th.
Then, Chelsea kicked off their campaign against LAFC, home to former Premier League stars Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris, in Atlanta.
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Masses of empty seats could be seen at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium
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However, fans noticed the lack of supporters in the stadium, with the TV cameras picking up thousands of empty seats.
While the entire top tier is usually closed for football games, masses of empty seats could be seen across all tiers.
The stadium, which is home to Atlanta United FC of the MLS and Atlanta Falcons of the NFL, typically seats 42,500 for football games and up to 71,000 for NFL matches.
The actual figure viewing Chelsea’s opener against LAFC was far fewer than 42,500 however.
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Supporters were quick to take to social media to question the lack of attendance, with one fan writing: “There is no one at this Chelsea vs LAFC game…. Holy hell!”
Another said: “The stadium is looking quite empty ahead of Chelsea vs Los Angeles FC.”
A third added: “Omg it's actually empty.”
The time and location of the game have played large factors in why so few people turned up.
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Chelsea faced Los Angeles FC in their opening fixture in the Club World Cup
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The game kicked off at 3pm local time on a weekday, which would count a significant portion of potential viewers out of attending.
Additionally, despite the tournament being held in the US, LAFC’s opener is being played in Atlanta, Georgia.
For fans, it represents a four-hour plane journey and a three-hour time difference, leading to such a small section of fans making the significant commute across the country.
The ticket crisis had been discussed prior to the tournament, with a Fifa spokesman saying: “The Fifa Club World Cup is the start of a new era in global club football.
“By making the bold move of creating this new, truly global competition, Fifa is bringing together giants of the club game and spotlighting many new and successful clubs from all continents - introducing them to fans in the United States and to a broader global audience.
“We anticipate great attendances and electric atmospheres at its inaugural edition, with excitement growing with every round of matches and the tournament ultimately standing as the undisputed pinnacle of club world football.
“The appetite speaks for itself: fans from over 130 countries have already purchased tickets.”
Fifa president Gianni Infantino also tried to manage expectations for ticket sales, insisting to the media that he believes more fans will be more interested once the tournament gets underway.
Both Infantino and Fifa will be hoping that to be the case, and attendances can improve on the dismal showing in Atlanta on Monday evening.
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