In December 2023, the governing body for football across the globe, FIFA, announced that it was expanding the format of the Club World Cup. This development, which was greeted with mixed reactions by many in the sports world, was touted by FIFA as the tournament that would change football for the better.
Fast forward to June 2025, the Club World Cup kicked off in the United States in what turned out to be a rather underwhelming start. Not only was Inter Miami and soccer legend Lionel Messi held to a goalless draw by Al-Ahly of Egypt, but the turnout from fans fell short of the standard of a global tournament.
Over the next couple of days as the competition progressed, the fixtures were marked by tens of thousands of empty seats and stifled cheers. It didn’t take long for the players and coaches to complain about the displeasing atmosphere.
“I think the environment was a bit strange. You know, the stadium was almost empty. Not full,” Enzo Maresca, head coach of Chelsea said right after his team’s triumph over Los Angeles FC in Atlanta.
With the United States set to host the World Cup next year alongside Mexico and Canada, there have been doubts about the US’ ability to deliver a spectacular competition. Kate Richardson, leading sports journalist and commentator examines the reasons for the low turn at stadiums and how circumstances may be different at the 2026 mundial.
Decoding the Reasons for Low Fan Turnout at the Club World Cup
According to ESPN, an estimated one million seats were empty throughout the group stages of the competition. But why have empty stadiums become a recurring phenomenon at the tournament? Well, there are three major reasons which we will explore next.
Timing
Perhaps the major show-stopper at this year’s Club World Cup has been the timing of the games for the host audience. In a bid to please European fans tuning in to the games, FIFA had set most matches for mid-day local time and evening across the Atlantic.
Unsurprisingly, with most Americans still at work, at school or busy making the count, it was left to travelling fans to fill up the stadiums. Many credible outlets have also reported that weekend games had better attendance than midweek fixtures.
Heat
It’s summer in the US and the weather has been unforgiving, especially to visitors who are more used to the moderate heat of Europe. Sadly, some locations have proven more terrifying than others, with Washington DC and Tennessee crossing several heat thresholds.
For instance, the average game time heat in the country’s capital was 98F or 36°C. In fact, players were entitled to two rounds of cooling break in both halves, with a couple other matches postponed due to weather. Anywhere in the world, this was enough to stop fans from making it to the stadium.
Photo: reddit
Ticket Prices
Although they have now stabilized, the prices for tickets were out of reach for the average person at the initial stages of the tournament. In the week before Fluminense took on Chelsea in the semi-final showdown, tickets to the MetLife were available for $473.90. FIFA would then slash them to about $13, making them more affordable.
Without the price slash, it was almost certain that the stadiums would have been emptier for the two semi-final clashes. The Chelsea-Fluminense match saw about 70,000 fans in an 82,5000 capacity stadium while the Real Madrid-PSG clash saw about 77,000 in the same MetLife.
Will the 2026 World Cup be any better?
Jason Burt, journalist with the London Telegraph has famously described the tournament as an “inflated, 32-team Infantino vanity project that was imposed upon America ahead of next year’s World Cup.” This description summarizes all that is wrong with the Club World Cup and why the 2026 global tournament would be different.
Rather than stick to the working strategy of the previous Club World Cup formats, FIFA opted for a marketing-heavy, cash grab tournament that will lay the groundwork for the next year. Unfortunately, the experiment is not going on too well. However, there is every indication that the World Cup can be better.
First, there is the inclusion of other countries like Canada and then Mexico which on its own has a vibrant football-loving population. Besides, there is greater anticipation for the World Cup especially with more top stars like Cristiano Ronaldo participating in what could be his last mundial.
In fact, players can already wager on futures for the World Cup, thanks to tipster platforms like MightyTips providing accurate and on-time information about betting opportunities. So, if you think any country can go all the way, you can stake early at the best international betting sites and enjoy a blend of unique bonuses and excellent customer service.
That said, for a better World Cup in 2026, FIFA should consider the following:
- Better scheduling of fixtures to ensure audiences in different continents are primed to enjoy the matches at a suitable time, but with emphasis on the local time.
- Ticket reforms to ensure affordable retailing for fans from all over the world.
- Marketing to local audiences who currently prefer sports like basketball and American football to “soccer.”
Final Thoughts: Is There Any Saving the Club World Cup?
While there is hope that the World Cup can indeed turn out great in 2026, the Club World Cup is nearing its end and there isn’t so much anyone can do. The final game will involve a showdown between Champions League winners, PSG and UEFA Conference League champions, Chelsea in New York.
Both teams have been in excellent form, and with affordable ticketing policy, excellent local timing and a little more publicity, we can experience perhaps the greatest Club World Cup final of all time.