Chelsea’s Club World Cup Opener Produces Shockingly Low Turnout | OneFootball

Chelsea kicked off their first match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in front of tens of thousands of empty seats.

Chelsea clashed with MLS side LAFC in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The venue holds a capacity of 71,000 fans, but when it came time for the opening whistle, there was only a handful of fans in the stadium.

In fact, images show the entire upper level of the venue completely desolate. FIFA did not reveal how many tickets were sold for the fixture, but it is clear the number is shockingly low.

The lack of interest in the match stateside is a huge warning sign for FIFA. If people are not willing to buy tickets to see one of the biggest Premier League clubs take on an American-based team, then it is hard to imagine the turnout for matches between two smaller clubs in the group stage.

The scheduling does not help matters; many of the FIFA Club World Cup matches kick off on weekdays in the afternoon while most of the public are at work.

The poor attendance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium comes after FIFA drastically slashed prices for the opening fixture of the tournament between Inter Miami and Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium. FIFA even commissioned an affiliate deal with Miami Dade College to encourage students to buy tickets to see Lionel Messi at a discounted rate.

There are now glaring warning signs ahead of next summer’s FIFA World Cup, which is also set to unfold largely across the United States. In fact, Mercedes-Benz Stadium is slated to host eight matches in the biggest tournament in the sport.