Club World Cup Attendance Woes: Over 1 Million Seats Empty in Group Stage

The Club World Cup's group stage has concluded, revealing a significant issue: approximately one million empty seats across the 48 matches played. This comes just a year before the United States is set to host the 2026 World Cup, raising concerns about fan engagement and attendance.

Of the teams progressing to the round of 16, nine hail from Europe, four from Brazil, and one each from Major League Soccer, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia.

Stadium attendance figures reveal a concerning trend. Only 56.7% of the available capacity was filled during the group stage. Some matches, such as those in Orlando, Florida (with crowds of 3,412 and 6,730) and Cincinnati (5,282 and 8,239 attendees), were particularly poorly attended. Despite repeated requests from The Associated Press, FIFA has not disclosed specific stadium capacities for the tournament.

The total announced attendance for the group stage was 1.67 million out of a possible 2.95 million, averaging 34,746 per match.

Notable venues for the upcoming 2026 World Cup also experienced low turnout. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the venue for next year's final, was only 44.9% full across five matches. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, saw just 50% of its seats filled.

Other 2026 World Cup host cities fared somewhat better, with Miami Gardens, Florida, filling 81.8% of its capacity, Philadelphia at 61.6%, Seattle at 52%, and Atlanta at 44.3%.

Despite the low attendance figures, FIFA released a statement asserting the tournament's popularity: "The appetite of the tournament speaks for itself: fans from 168 countries have already purchased tickets ... a clear sign of global anticipation and reach."

Television viewership for the tournament averaged 360,000 viewers across 12 games on TNT, TBS, and truTV, with English commentary. Seven matches broadcast during nights and weekends drew an average of 409,000 viewers.