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Club World Cup fizzles in the US: Will empty stadiums haunt FIFA's World Cup 2026 dream?

Asianetnews | June 18, 2025 4:39 PM CST

FIFA’s grand ambitions for a reimagined have stumbled headfirst into a reality check in the United States. On Tuesday, the Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando became an unintended symbol of that disconnect. Designed to seat over 25,000 football fans, it echoed with emptiness as fewer than 600 people showed up to watch South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai face off against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.

As the match was delayed by a storm, journalist Maher Mezahi noted on social media that just 97 fans were present shortly before kick-off. He later estimated around 557 were in attendance. FIFA, however, put the official number at 3,412—though photos from the match told a starker story: entire sections of the stadium remained deserted.

Club World Cup: Big Names, Small Crowds

This wasn’t a one-off. A day earlier, ’s highly anticipated opener against Los Angeles FC saw just 22,000 fans at the massive 75,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The entire top tier was closed. General admission tickets had been priced at $52, but despite star power and Premier League pedigree, interest was minimal.

It’s a concerning trend for a tournament meant to be a marquee event in global football.

Club World Cup: Ticket Prices Slashed, Fans Unconvinced

Desperate to salvage attendances, FIFA has been quietly cutting prices. For the opening match featuring Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, seats were being sold to local college students for as little as $20. That helped somewhat—over 60,000 turned up at the 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

And yet, despite those numbers, FIFA’s wider strategy is under scrutiny. “Seen bigger crowds at non-league football grounds than this match in Orlando for the Club World Cup…” read one fan’s post.

Another questioned, “If it’s true that there are less than 1,000 people at Ulsan vs Sundowns in the Club World Cup then that’s mad... If attendances continue to be that low, surely Infantino will face repercussions??? (laughing cry face) who am I kidding, the king won’t depose himself.”

Club World Cup: FIFA’s Gloss vs Ground Reality

Still, FIFA remains bullish. In a press release this week, the organisation claimed to have sold nearly 1.5 million tickets, boasting over 340,000 fans had attended the first eight matches. FIFA President Gianni Infantino tried to spin the tournament as a success story in the making.

“This is exactly what the FIFA Club World Cup was created for: a world-class stage where new stories are told, new heroes emerge,” Infantino said. “FIFA is proud of the unique and multicultural atmosphere and support this new competition has already generated.”

He added, “Thanks [to] every fan who has brought their voice, passion, and presence as the FIFA Club World Cup continues to grow into the undisputed pinnacle of global club football.”

But to many observers, the disconnect between the rhetoric and the reality is glaring.

Club World Cup: Where Are the Fans?

The tournament’s problems aren’t just aesthetic. They raise fundamental questions about fan engagement, especially in a country that is set to host the world’s biggest sporting event in just a year and a half—the .

If a match involving a European giant like Chelsea can't fill even half a stadium in football’s growing market, what does it say about broader interest? And what happens when lesser-known teams take the field during the World Cup group stages in far-flung cities?

Yes, the game between Ulsan and Sundowns involved clubs from regions far from the US But that also raises a question FIFA needs to grapple with: Did the governing body overestimate the universal appeal of the Club World Cup—or worse, misjudge the market entirely?

LaLiga Slams the Experiment

LaLiga President Javier Tebas certainly thinks so. Taking aim at the tournament’s format and timing, he said on Tuesday, “My goal is to ensure there are no more Club World Cups, that’s very clear… There’s no need for yet another competition that moves money to a sector of clubs and players and comes from somewhere.”

He was scathing in his assessment of Chelsea’s fixture too, saying, “I watched 25 minutes of Chelsea’s win over Los Angeles and I didn’t see any intensity—it looked like a preseason friendly.”

A Troubling Sign Ahead of 2026 World Cup

For FIFA, this isn’t just a PR hiccup. It’s a reputational and strategic warning. The United States is set to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada. If fans aren’t turning up in large numbers for high-profile club matches now, what happens during group stage clashes between lower-ranked national teams?

The Club World Cup was supposed to build momentum, broaden the US fanbase, and showcase soccer as a mainstream, mass-market sport in America. Instead, it has raised a troubling question: Is FIFA’s crown jewel beginning to lose its shine before it’s even truly set?