Chelsea win in front of 50,000 empty seats – apathy or bad scheduling?

Tens of thousands of empty seats were in Atlanta as Chelsea kicked off their Fifa Club World Cup campaign against Los Angeles FC.

On a working Monday, Mercedes-Benz Stadium kicked off at 3 p.m. local time.

Chelsea won 2-0 on a ground that can accommodate 71, 000 spectators, despite the top tier being closed, with 22, 137 people present.

Enzo Maresca, the manager of Chelsea, said: “I think the environment was a little strange; it was almost empty, not full.

We are professionals, and we must adapt to both the environment and the circumstances. When playing in a full stadium, you have to adapt. Even if the stadium isn’t full, you have to adapt.

Around 26 000 people were expected to attend Fifa, according to sources who spoke to the BBC.

A larger bottom tier was more than half empty, whereas a small middle tier appeared to be mostly full.

The lowest price of tickets was just before kick-off, which was significantly higher than the build-up’s seats. Tickets were still available for sale online for £26 during the game, with many available in nearly every section.

In the southern United States, Los Angeles is located more than 2, 000 miles away from Atlanta.

LAFC’s 150 ultras dominated the atmosphere despite Chelsea having many more fans than the disqualified Leon, who was a late replacement for them in the tournament.

The goals, Liam Delap’s debut introduction, and the booing of important decisions mainly sparked the Blues’ fans’ ire.

The newly expanded Club World Cup serves as a rehearsal for the US, Canada, and Mexico’s upcoming international World Cup, which will take place in the summer.

In the US, the CWC is just being played.

In recent weeks, whether people were interested in Fifa’s new-look competition was a major discussion point.

This was the first match of the tournament to take place on a weekday, so ticket sales have been slow.

Up until the group stage ends on Thursday, June 26 (noon, 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. local time), two or three games will be played during regular work hours each weekday. This week and the following week, the group stage will end.

In a friendly competition known as the Premier League Summer Series, Chelsea also played at the stadium two years ago, almost sold out, with over 70, 000 spectators watching them face Newcastle.

Are these attendances merely a result of dissatisfaction with this updated Club World Cup, or could this apathy continue into the 2026 World Cup itself?

Two American journalists spoke with BBC Sport to find out what they thought.

There are several factors, according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution author Doug Roberson, but “it’s not because people here don’t care about soccer.”

He said, “The people aren’t here because it’s Monday at 3 p.m..” I’m surprised there are as many as there are, to be honest.

Because it’s new, it’s a tournament that doesn’t mean a lot to Americans. Because the World Cup is coming next year and people are trying to save money for that, I would imagine paying to attend a tournament you didn’t know wouldn’t appeal.

“I would have game times where more people could come if I were Fifa for the World Cup.” The ticket prices were outrageous, and it is something to think about.

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s chief soccer correspondent, Jonathan Tannenwald, claims that the company’s marketing is to blame.

He said, “When you come here, you have to do a lot of marketing.” You can’t just anticipate seeing people arrive.

Because Fifa was running it all internally, there was no true local organizing committee in the US.

We will all participate in the World Cup in the summer, but they needed to explain how to promote the Club World Cup.

“Will people enter the final stages?” Probably . When Atlanta is hosting Chelsea vs. LAFC in the group stage because of the cost of tickets? No. They possess that level of intelligence. That is available on Fifa.

The sight of almost 50 000 empty seats, according to BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty, will be a “early embarrassment for Fifa.”

There are “long-held fears” that this most recent ostensible tournament, shoe-horned into an already crammed calendar following a grueling season, won’t capture the public’s imagination, he said.

“The bleak confirmation that Chelsea defeated Los Angeles FC was the sea of empty red seats.

Although Chelsea and Los Angeles may struggle to draw in local interest as a kick-off at 3 p.m. US time on a Monday, “the lack of supporters will undoubtedly have felt uncomfortable for Fifa’s top brass, including perhaps even its ultra-confident president Gianni Infantino,” the latter may have been a contributing factor.

“It may also serve as a first step for Fifa in advising Fifa that American games at the World Cup in the summer should be priced reasonably and affordably priced.”

After the game, LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo was questioned about the crowd.

He said, “I think it varies depending on the game you play.”

Some pre-tournament reports claimed that students at a Miami college, which is a partner of Fifa, were informed that they would receive four free tickets if they purchased one for £4.70.

Tickets have been available for purchase through a dynamic pricing system that is based on demand.

They are offered for all video games, with many on sale for £25.

More than 55, 000 spectators showed up at the 65, 000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium for Boca’s Group C game against Benfica on Monday night.

However, a crowd of 25, 797 attended the later in the day, Group D game between Flamengo and ES Tunis at Philadelphia’s 67, 594-seater Lincoln Financial Field.

Only 34, 736 people were inside MetLife Stadium on Tuesday for Dortmund’s 0-0 draw with Fluminense, which has a capacity of more than 82, 000.

Nearly 1.5 million tickets have been sold for the tournament, according to Fifa, compared to the thousands of tickets that are still available for most games.

Although there are thousands of resale tickets available, only 200 tickets are officially available for Real Madrid’s first game against Al-Hilal at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

Despite the issues, there have still been sizable attendances.

According to Fifa, 60 and 927 people watched Inter Miami’s opener.

The official crowd for Paris St-Germain’s 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid was 80 and 619.

Other attendances so far have been 21, 152, 30, 151 and 46, 275.

What was wrong with the previous Club World Cup format, Sam, Southanpton? Because of the length of the list of issues with this one.

Matty, there is so much negativity about this competition. People who are not used to alter. I’m so proud that Chelsea is now playing for the Premier League.

Scott, Preston: I don’t believe people are used to changing; I believe that is one of the purposes of this tournament. After a long season for all the clubs involved, it’s obvious that it’s about money and doesn’t care about the players’ welfare. Although I enjoy football, most of the time it occurs on weekends, so it’s only natural that some people will eventually stop.