FIFA Club World Cup Slammed as Stadiums Sit Empty Despite £775m Prize Pot

Is FIFA’s Club World Cup turning into a global football embarrassment?

Fewer than 600 fans showed up to a match in Orlando’s 25,500-seat Inter & Co Stadium, with some claiming fewer than 100 spectators were present before kickoff. Even Chelsea’s opener at the 75,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium was over 70% empty. FIFA slashed ticket prices and moved fans into camera zones to hide the emptiness, yet still boasted of selling 1.5 million tickets.

Despite these claims, pictures show vast empty sections at multiple games. Fans online mocked the situation, comparing it to non-league turnouts. Critics like LaLiga president Javier Tebas argue the tournament is unnecessary and threatens the sustainability of global football.

While matches featuring top teams like PSG and Atletico Madrid saw large crowds, most games — especially involving clubs from South Korea and South Africa — failed to attract local support. Even weather delays didn’t help the optics.

With £775 million in prize money and FIFA’s insistence that this will be the crown jewel of club football, many are asking: has FIFA misjudged global interest?

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