The top tier of Mercedes-Benz Stadium was closed - but other tiers were far from full Chelsea kicked off their Fifa Club World Cup campaign against Los Angeles FC to tens of thousands of empty seats in Atlanta. The game started at 3pm local time on a working Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The ground can hold 75,000 spectators, but the entire top tier was closed for this match. Sources told the BBC that Fifa was expecting a crowd of about 26,000, but it did not appear that busy at kick-off. A small middle tier seemed to be mostly full, but a larger bottom tier was more than half empty. The cheapest ticket was about £37 before kick-off. During the game tickets were still on sale online for £26 - with many available in nearly every section. Los Angeles is more than 2,000 miles away from Atlanta, across the southern United States. Their 1,500 ultras dominated the atmosphere. The newly expanded Club World Cup is being treated as a dress rehearsal for the international World Cup next summer, which will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The CWC is just being played in the US. All these seats were still on sale during the first half One of the big talking points in recent weeks was whether people cared about Fifa's new-look competition. Ticket sales have been slow, and this was the first match of the tournament to take place on a weekday. Chelsea also played at the stadium two years ago - and almost sold out with more than 70,000 fans watching them face Newcastle in a friendly tournament named the Premier League Summer Series. Before kick-off there were even fewer fans in Thousands upon thousands of seats were empty in Atlanta
Chelsea start CWC campaign to thousands of empty seats
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"Chelsea Faces Low Attendance in FIFA Club World Cup Opener Against Los Angeles FC"
Bbc News
7.9
TruthLens AI Summary
Chelsea commenced their FIFA Club World Cup campaign against Los Angeles FC at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, but the match was marred by a significant lack of attendance, with tens of thousands of seats remaining empty. The stadium, which has a capacity of 75,000, had its top tier closed for the match, and despite FIFA's expectations of around 26,000 spectators, the actual turnout was far lower. The middle tier had a modest crowd, while the lower tier was notably more than half empty. Ticket prices started at approximately £37 before the match, and during the game, tickets were still available online for as low as £26, indicating a lack of interest in the event. The distance between Los Angeles and Atlanta, which exceeds 2,000 miles, may have contributed to the sparse attendance, though the 1,500 traveling fans from Los Angeles created a lively atmosphere despite the overall low numbers.
This match marked the beginning of the newly expanded Club World Cup, which is intended to serve as a precursor to the upcoming international World Cup set to take place next summer across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The timing of the match on a weekday may have further hindered attendance, as the previous Chelsea match at the same venue two years ago drew over 70,000 fans during a friendly tournament. The poor ticket sales and attendance have raised questions about public interest in FIFA's revamped competition, particularly as this match was the first of the tournament played on a weekday. As the tournament progresses, it remains to be seen whether attendance will improve or if the trend of empty seats will continue, reflecting broader concerns about the appeal of the tournament format and scheduling.
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