Empty Seats Galore: Only Half Million Attendees Witness FIFA Club World Cup Despite Massive Venue Capacity

In a concerning trend for the governing body of international football, more than 423,000 seats have been left empty during the opening round of the FIFA Club World Cup group matches held in the United States. Stadiums witnessed an average attendance of just 56.8%, with millions of square feet of unused space.

The tournament has seen a total of over half a million spectators attend the 16 matches that have been played so far, showcasing an alarming lack of enthusiasm by fans despite the massive venue capacities on display. This trend is particularly jarring given that nine stadiums have been utilized for the event, with their combined capacity standing at a staggering 979,373 seats.

The FIFA Club World Cup has been viewed as a dress rehearsal for the highly anticipated international men's World Cup next summer, which will be co-hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. With such low attendance numbers, it raises serious questions about the overall viability of the global football fanbase going into the world's biggest spectacle.

Notably, half of the matches played so far have seen attendances that dipped below 50% of the stadium capacity, with one match in particular drawing an audience of only 3,412 spectators - a concerning indication of the yawning disconnect between football fans and these grand tournaments.