Chelsea began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC in front of a sparse crowd at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Despite the stadium’s 71,000 capacity, just 22,137 fans were in attendance on Monday afternoon — with the top tier closed and large gaps visible in the lower levels.
The match kicked off at 3pm local time on a working weekday, contributing to the subdued turnout.
“It felt a bit strange,” admitted Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca. “The stadium was almost empty. But we’re professionals and must adapt, whether it’s a full house or not.”
FIFA sources had expected a crowd closer to 26,000, but even with last-minute ticket prices dropping to £26, thousands of seats remained unsold. Before kick-off, the cheapest ticket was about £37, though many were far more expensive in the build-up.
The atmosphere was largely created by LAFC’s small but vocal group of traveling fans, despite being over 2,000 miles from home. Chelsea’s support was more sporadic, erupting mainly for the goals and key moments such as Liam Delap’s debut appearance.
LAFC were late additions to the tournament, stepping in for disqualified Mexican side León. The Club World Cup is being seen as a test run for the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held across the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
This year’s CWC is taking place exclusively in the US, and questions remain about American fans’ appetite for FIFA’s new format. Ticket sales have been sluggish, especially for weekday matches scheduled during working hours — with more midday games set to continue until the group stage wraps up on 26 June.
Interestingly, Chelsea played at the same stadium two years ago during a Premier League Summer Series match against Newcastle and nearly sold it out, attracting over 70,000 fans.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is also home to MLS side Atlanta United, the league’s best-supported team with average attendances over 44,000, and regularly hosts US national team fixtures.
Some pre-tournament reports claimed students at a Miami college partnered with FIFA were offered four free tickets with the purchase of one at £14.70 — an indication of efforts to boost sales.
Ticket pricing for the CWC is based on a dynamic model, adjusting with demand. As of now, tickets for most matches remain widely available, with many selling for around £25.
Crowds have varied significantly across venues. Boca Juniors’ clash with Benfica drew over 55,000 fans at the 65,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, while Flamengo’s Group D match with ES Tunis in Philadelphia saw just 25,797 fans in a 67,000-capacity arena.
Still, some fixtures have seen strong turnouts — FIFA reported 60,927 fans at the opener between Inter Miami and Al-Ahly, and 80,619 for Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid.
Other match attendances have included 21,152, 30,151, and 46,275.
The UK ranked 11th among countries for tickets purchased, with the US, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Canada leading the way.
