USA: FIFA Club World Cup — disappointment and organizational issues

source: StadiumDB.com; author: Paulina Skóra

USA: FIFA Club World Cup — disappointment and organizational issues The organizers, led by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, expressed satisfaction with the kickoff of the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) and hoped that the number of goals, attendance, and interest in the tournament would increase as matches progressed.

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FIFA miscalculated — the tournament generates relatively low interest

Just a few days in, the Club World Cup, promoted by FIFA as the most prestigious club tournament in the world, failed to meet expectations and did not live up to the media hype surrounding it. Large empty seats in the stands became a serious image problem for the revamped tournament and sparked debate about why this happened.

The simplest answer is this: FIFA discouraged or excluded a significant portion of potential fans by offering alarmingly high ticket prices and running an ineffective promotional campaign. Hardcore fans of South American and African clubs enthusiastically welcomed the tournament, but many could not afford to travel to the USA. Meanwhile, local interest was misjudged by FIFA and collided with the belief that the Club World Cup is primarily another money-making machine.

The atmosphere was a bit strange, admitted Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca when his team debuted in the CWC on Monday. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium was, as Maresca noted, almost empty. Even as late-arriving fans began filling the stands, more than 50,000 seats in Atlanta remained vacant. The match was attended by only 22,137 spectators. In other venues, after four days of the tournament, most of the 12 matches played did not fill even half the stadium capacity; none of the matches sold out. For example, the Seattle Sounders vs. Botafogo match drew 30,151 people, which is less than the Sounders’ average MLS attendance. Two days later, the River Plate vs. Urawa Reds match saw only 11,974 attendees, and in Orlando, the Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Ulsan HD game attracted just 3,412.

If even friendly matches fill stadiums in America, then for the World Cup and the best players competing for the trophy, stadiums should be full, said FIFA President Gianni Infantino in April. Yet, he was clearly mistaken.

The average attendance for the first 12 matches was 36,126 people, which in itself is not a bad result. The tournament drew crowds in New Jersey and Miami, but 10 of the 12 matches took place in NFL stadiums or at the Rose Bowl, where according to FIFA data only about 54% of seats were filled on average. FIFA did not respond to questions regarding ticket prices and promotion. In a brief statement, they only noted that nearly 1.5 million tickets have been sold. Calculated across 63 matches and a total capacity of about 4 million seats, this means only about 37% occupancy.

Questionable match schedule and concerns about participant safety

Matches starting at 12:00 and 15:00 local time during hot summer days forced players and fans to cope with difficult weather conditions. In Sunday’s group match between PSG and Atletico at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the temperature at kickoff was 31°C (87.8°F). PSG coach Luis Enrique admitted the heat affected the flow of the game: Our game rhythm was somewhat lower than usual, he said in a post-match interview.

The most affected, however, were the fans in attendance. Conditions for spectators were described as dangerous and unbearable — lack of access to water and overcrowding in the stands posed real risks. Spectators reported having to throw away full water bottles before entering the stadium, observed people in poor condition inside, and wait times to buy water reached up to 45 minutes.

John Celmins from Santa Barbara, a frequent Rose Bowl attendee, described the experience as poorly organized and said it discouraged him from attending next year’s World Cup. There was no simple way to buy water. You could buy beer, but there were no dedicated water stations or extra water points. The queues were everywhere and very long.

Bryan González from Oakland also highlighted the insufficient number of water points and overcrowding at misting stations. People were filling cups with water and pouring it on each other’s backs, he reported. Fortunately, there were misting stations near restrooms, so crowds gathered there and people exchanged places.

Celmins added that another problem was that although the Rose Bowl normally allows closed water bottles, this time they did not. The official stadium website states that single-use bottles (closed or empty) and reusable bottles (empty) are allowed. However, FIFA’s CWC regulations permit only empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles up to 1 liter, banning others except medical or baby bottles.

On Instagram posts of the stadium, fans also expressed dissatisfaction. One called attending the match the worst decision of my life. We are sunburned, everything hurts, wrote Khusan Madimov. Another user, Val Wright, added: Dangerous experience. Queues were so long that there was a bottleneck between sections 13 and 20. Even the Pasadena fire department had difficulties evacuating people with heatstroke. I have been to football matches worldwide but never felt so endangered. We left at halftime.

According to The Guardian sources, FIFA monitored weather conditions and planned to introduce protective measures for fans if necessary. The Rose Bowl will host five more group stage matches, including Atlético Madrid vs. Botafogo on June 23, also scheduled for 12:00 local time.

Concerns about storms and low attendance

The first days of the tournament saw unusual events, but one of the most notable was Tuesday’s Group F match between Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) and Ulsan Hyundai (South Korea). Mamelodi won 1-0, increasing their chances of advancing to the knockout stage. However, before kickoff, a lengthy delay caused speculation about cancellation and fears that Orlando’s Inter & Co Stadium would be nearly empty.

The match, scheduled for 18:00 Eastern Time, started over an hour late. Referee Clément Turpin ordered players off the pitch just before kickoff due to an approaching storm. After a 65-minute wait, the skies cleared and the match began. The delay allowed more fans to arrive. Prior to kickoff, reports indicated extremely low attendance—only 97 spectators in a stadium holding 25,500. Even during the match, large empty sections were visible, although broadcasters tried to avoid showing them. FIFA’s official attendance was 3,142.

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