Club World Cup Faces Attendance Issues: 1 Million Seats Unfilled in Group Stage

The Club World Cup group stage has concluded with a concerning statistic: one million seats remained empty across the 48 matches played. This comes just a year before the United States is set to host the 2026 World Cup.

Of the teams progressing to the round of 16, nine hail from Europe. Brazil boasts four representatives, while Major League Soccer, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia each have one team advancing.

Stadium attendance figures reveal that only 56.7% of the total available capacity was filled during the group stage. Some matches in Orlando, Florida, drew crowds as low as 3,412 and 6,730, while Cincinnati saw attendance figures of 5,282 and 8,239. Despite repeated requests, FIFA has not provided specific stadium capacities for the tournament.

The total announced attendance reached 1.67 million out of a possible 2.95 million, resulting in an average attendance of 34,746 per match.

• MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, future venue for the next year's World Cup final, saw only 44.9% of its seats filled across five matches.
• The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, which hosted the 1994 championship game, reached 50% capacity.

Other 2026 World Cup host cities also presented varying attendance rates:

• Miami Gardens, Florida: 81.8%
• Philadelphia: 61.6%
• Seattle: 52%
• Atlanta: 44.3%

In response to concerns about attendance figures, FIFA released a statement emphasizing the global interest in the tournament: "The appetite of the tournament speaks for itself: fans from 168 countries have already purchased tickets... a clear sign of global anticipation and reach."

Television viewership for the 12 games broadcast with English commentary on TNT, TBS, and truTV averaged 360,000 viewers through Monday. Seven matches aired during nights and weekends averaged 409,000 viewers.