Chelsea kicked off their Club World Cup campaign to all the glitz and glamour you would expect of an tournament in the United States… but very few fans were there to see it.
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia seemed determined to ramp up the occasion as the Blues took on Los Angeles on Monday.
Each Chelsea player was given a lengthy introduction, the sound of bells blared over the speakers. An enthusiastic announcer then gave a ten-second countdown to kick-off, apparently undeterred by the fact there were huge sections of empty seats in the 71,000 capacity stadium.
Tickets for general admission were on sale for £38 and early estimates had the attendance at around 26,000 with the entire top tier of the stadium closed.
FIFA have been concerned about attendances for the tournament and had reduced ticket prices after poor take-up. However, before Chelsea’s game, attendances had been healthy.
Inter Miami’s opening match of the tournament, with Lionel Messi the star attraction, drew 60,927 for their game with Al Ahly.
The top tier of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was closed for Chelsea’s opening match
Pedro Neto scored Chelsea’s first goal of the tournament… but very few were there to see it
More than 80,000 were in the Rose Bowl on Sunday to watch Paris-Saint Germain’s 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid. But the game in Atlanta evidently failed to have the same attraction.
That is despite the fact Atlanta is one of the States’ footballing hotbeds.
This city is home to both the MLS’s best supported football team, Atlanta United, which averages 44,037 fans per match, along with the new home to the US Soccer various teams, including Mauricio Pochettino’s men’s team and Emma Hayes’s women’s team.
Chelsea almost sold out this stadium two years ago with over 70,000 fans watching them face Newcastle in a friendly tournament named the Premier League Summer Series.
One explanation for the low attendance may be the kick-off time of 3pm on a workday – a timing which seems to have European TV audiences more in mind than locals..
Fans were left cringing on social media at the lack of support for Enzo Maresca’s side. One wrote on X: ‘Chelsea fans told me for years they are big in America and North America, look at those empty seats.’
While another added: ‘What nonsense is this announcing Chelsea and lafc players individually at #FIFAClubWorldCup2025 , americans must stop trying to americanize things that work perfectly. If It Ain’t Broke … stadium is painfully empty yet a team from america is playing.’
