FIFA bosses left red-faced as Club World Cup issue becomes clearer in Chelsea match

Chelsea's Club World Cup opener against LAFC faced a disappointing turnout, with the Mercedes Benz Stadium showing significant empty seats despite affordable ticket prices. This situation may influence betting outcomes, as the lack of fan support could affect player performance and team morale, leading punters to reconsider their wagers on Chelsea's next matches.

Chelsea’s Club World Cup opener against LAFC was played in front of a half-empty stadium, leaving FIFA bosses red-faced. Huge swathes of empty red seats were visible in the 71,000 capacity Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, suggesting that ticket sales had flopped.

Tickets for general admission were on sale for £38 ($51), but the stadium did not look even half full at kick-off. There were pre-match estimates that the crowd would be around 26,000, but it is hard to determine exact figures.

FIFA had reduced prices for matches in the States after a poor take up, and attendances over the weekend had improved more than first feared. Inter Miami’s opening match of the tournament, featuring Lionel Messi, drew 60,927, while over 80,000 were in the Rose Bowl on Sunday to watch Paris-Saint Germain’s 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid.

However, Chelsea's game in Atlanta did not attract the same attention, possibly due to its scheduling at 3pm on a normal workday Monday. This number of empty seats is a blow to FIFA as they launch their new-look 32-team tournament.

The prize money for winners stands at £97m, with a total pot of £775m across the four-week tournament played in the States.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich’s 10-goal win in the Club World Cup drew a substantial TV audience with a peak of 560,000 watching Bayern’s victory over Auckland City on Channel 5. The average audience for the match was 392,000.

Ahead of Chelsea's first match, manager Enzo Maresca expressed belief in new signing Liam Delap's potential to become England’s next No9, highlighting how vital that role is for Chelsea.

Maresca stated, “For me, Liam can potentially be the England number nine. He knows how important that number is for this club, and he’s working well since he arrived.”

The FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 of the world's best club teams, including Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG, and Bayern Munich, compete across 63 games from June 14 to July 13. Fans can watch every match live and for free by signing up to DAZN.

There were huge swathes of empty red seats in the 71,000 capacity Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta as ticket sales appeared to have flopped for Chelsea's opener against LAFC

Mirror