Club World Cup USA: Attendance Woes and Future Hopes
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The FIFA Club World Cup, currently underway in the United States, is facing some early challenges despite the excitement surrounding the expanded 32-team format. While the tournament is seen as a crucial dry run for the upcoming international men's World Cup co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico next summer, initial attendance figures have raised concerns.
Empty Seats Plague Opening Matches
Reports indicate that over 400,000 seats remained vacant during the first round of group matches. While over half a million spectators (556,369) attended, stadium occupancy averaged only 56.8%. With nine stadiums hosting the first 16 matches, and a combined capacity of 979,373, there's clearly room for improvement in filling the stands.
Low Attendance Highlights
The match between South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns and South Korean side Ulsan HD at Inter & Co Stadium in Florida recorded the lowest attendance, with a mere 3,412 spectators. This translates to a stadium occupancy of just 13.6%. Local reports even claimed to have counted fewer than 100 fans before kick-off.
Other matches also struggled to attract crowds, with River Plate's victory over Urawa Red Diamonds filling only 17% of the stadium, and Salzburg's win against Pachuca reaching just 20% occupancy. Even Chelsea's opening match against LAFC in Atlanta saw only 31% of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium filled.
FIFA Remains Optimistic
Despite these setbacks, FIFA remains optimistic that attendance numbers will improve as the tournament progresses. The organization has stated that four of the top five best-selling group stage matches are yet to come. They also point to nearly 1.5 million tickets sold overall for the tournament.
Indeed, there have been some success stories. Paris St-Germain's 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl Stadium in California drew a crowd of 80,619, demonstrating the potential for strong attendance figures. The presence of Lionel Messi with Inter Miami is also expected to boost attendance in the later stages.
The tournament format mirrors the FIFA World Cup, with 32 teams divided into eight groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, leading to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final. As the competition intensifies and star players take centre stage, FIFA hopes to see a significant increase in stadium occupancy.
Only time will tell if the FIFA's optimism is justified. This Club World Cup, however, provides valuable lessons about fan engagement and marketing strategies that FIFA can apply to ensure the men's World Cup next year is a resounding success both on and off the pitch.