Club World Cup Attendance: Empty Seats to Hostile Atmospheres

Club World Cup Attendance Concerns Highlighted

The opening week for the monthlong Club World Cup has seen some wildly fluctuating attendances across the United States. From swathes of empty seats to ‘hostile’ atmospheres, the lackluster turnout has raised questions about the tournament’s popularity.

At the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar, there was an average attendance of just under 50,000 per game for the opening week. This figure contrasts with last season’s Champions League average of just under 46,000. The Club World Cup, soccer’s new competition, has been billed as the event to breathe new life into the world’s most popular sport. However, the disappointing attendance numbers point to potential challenges.

The 2025 Club World Cup was expected to be a grand celebration of football, bringing together the best clubs from around the world. But as the tournament kicked off, it became clear that stadiums were half-empty. Fans anticipated packed stands and electric atmospheres, but instead, they were met with thousands of empty seats.

The opening round of the expanded Club World Cup in the United States revealed significant attendance concerns, with over 423,000 empty seats across the first 16 matches. Despite a total attendance of 556,369, stadiums have only averaged 56.8% capacity.

Chelsea’s Club World Cup opener against LAFC drew a surprisingly low crowd, with around 50,000 seats left unfilled. This raises questions about the tournament’s poor attendance and the lack of global excitement surrounding the event.

Overall, Club World Cup crowds have wildly fluctuated, from swathes of empty seats to ‘hostile’ atmospheres. It remains to be seen how the tournament will continue to fare in terms of attendance and fan engagement as it progresses.