The ongoing FIFA Club World Cup is grappling with a harsh reality. Over 1 million empty seats were recorded across the 48 group-stage matches, casting a dark shadow over the tournament’s ambition to become a global spectacle. Despite featuring top clubs and national champions from around the world, only 56.7% of publicly listed stadium capacity was filled during the group stage.<\/p>
Only 1.67 million fans attended the Club World Cup group stage matches out of a possible 2.95 million seats – an average of 34,746 per match. Sparse crowds were particularly noticeable in Orlando, where attendances dropped to as low as 3,412 and in Cincinnati, with games drawing just 5,282 and 8,239 spectators.<\/p>
The underwhelming figures were evident even at iconic venues set to host the 2026 World Cup. At MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the site of the next World Cup final, just 44.9% of seats were occupied across five matches. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, host of the 1994 World Cup final, saw only 50% capacity filled. Other 2026 World Cup venues fared only slightly better, with Miami Gardens at 81.8%, Philadelphia at 61.6%, Seattle at 52%, and Atlanta at 44.3%.<\/p>