Chelsea FC Highlight Why the Club World Cup Is Already Failing
The Club World Cup is underway as we are battling through the first round of group stage games. So far the tournament has been hit or miss on the pitch; we have had goalless games, and we have had cricket scores – Bayern beating Auckland City 10-0.
It is early days, and it might be premature to say, but the scenes prior to and during Chelsea’s first match in the Club World Cup may already indicate the tournament is failing.
And it is not down to the fans but rather down to the organisation running it.
Chelsea & LAFC Empty Seats in FIFA’s “Premium Club Tournament”
The Club World Cup has been billed as FIFA’s premier tournament for club football. It features all six of FIFA’s confederations, bringing the world together in a new way other than the World Cup. It is a way to compete with the Champions League in terms of revenue; after all, there is a $1 billion prize pool. But it seems no one cares.
The scenes prior to Chelsea vs LAFC have highlighted just how much of a failure this tournament has been and could be. Images of crowds pre- and during the game have showcased thousands of empty seats in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
😬 Looks like the Club World Cup hasn't had the pull that FIFA hoped that it would pic.twitter.com/ekk0bRcfrx
— Attacking Football (@AttackingFooty) June 16, 2025
For a tournament that was meant to be “massive”, this is a completely embarrassing look from FIFA, and don’t get it twisted, this is no slight on Chelsea or LAFC fans either. Before the competition, there were already concerns about what the point of this cup was. Fans were unhappy that there were more games, players were unhappy that there were more games, and the only people probably happy were FIFA and the owners of the clubs who saw the chance to increase profits.
This tournament has fallen way below par of what FIFA would have expected. Chelsea are one of England’s biggest clubs, yet in a 71,000-seater stadium, there are probably less than 10,000 people between the English and the Los Angeles club.
Poor Planning & Lack of Fan Involvement
Overall, the failures of this tournament are highlighted by FIFA’s poor planning and lack of involvement with fans on how to run it. Chelsea vs LAFC kicked off at 3 PM local time in Atlanta on a Monday. People are going to be at work and won’t be able to attend. Not exactly prime time for a football match when fans are stuck in traffic or in the office.
Even if they are off work, ticket prices are extortionate. Before the first game, tickets were above €300, and FIFA had to drop the prices just to get more people into the stadium. The costs lacked empathy and had a total disconnect from football fans worldwide.
🚨 Due to a lack of interest, FIFA has lowered the ticket prices for the Club World Cup from €300 to €48. 😳
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) June 13, 2025
For the opening match between Messi's Inter Miami and Al-Ahly, the prices have been reduced by €250. 🇪🇬🇺🇸
(Source: @lequipe) pic.twitter.com/lYyfY5wVJy
Additionally, local Chelsea fans and the average attender at Premier League games more than likely wanted a break from club football. Too many games can cause football fatigue. On top of this, many Chelsea fans have probably spent heavily going away to watch their team. Chelsea had a full European campaign which included winning the Conference League.
Asking them to open their already dipped-into wallets for a tournament with no hype or high interest was never going to work. FIFA do not understand football fans.
Club World Cup Attendances Will Increase, But That’s Not a Sign of Success
As the tournament progresses into the later rounds, there is no doubt attendances will increase, but that does not mean it has been a success. Tournaments such as this are meant to feature sold-out crowds across all games, not just the big ones. This will be a wake-up call for FIFA. They need to seriously listen to fans if they want future editions to succeed. Fans don’t want more football. They don’t want oversaturation. They don’t want to pay overinflated ticket costs.
Respect in the sense of football tournaments can’t be bought. It has to be earned through meaning, passion, and atmosphere. Fans will look back at this inaugural event and make jokes and memes about the empty seats. That is not a legacy FIFA wants for the Club World Cup.
Acceptable kick-off times, fair ticket prices and prestige are all missing from this competition, making it feel like the “pre-season” tournament it has been labelled. Until FIFA recognises that, the Club World Cup will remain an expensive, empty spectacle chasing relevance it hasn’t yet deserved.
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