FIFA’s ambitious attempt to rebrand the Club World Cup into a global football spectacle is off to a rocky start. Despite expanding the tournament to 32 teams with the hope of creating a club-level equivalent of the FIFA World Cup, early signs indicate a major misfire, with embarrassingly low attendance and a distinct lack of excitement surrounding the matches.
Empty Seats and Lack of Buzz
From the opening day, vast swathes of empty seats have defined the atmosphere in stadiums across the United States. The highly anticipated clash between Chelsea and LAFC drew just over 20,000 fans in a stadium built for more than 70,000. Even more troubling was the River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds fixture, which saw a meagre attendance of under 12,000, a paltry 17% of the venue’s capacity.
These numbers reflect a harsh reality: many American fans aren’t interested in non-European clubs, and FIFA’s current approach to organising and marketing the tournament appears fundamentally flawed.
Real Madrid: The Sole Bright Spot
Amid this bleak landscape, one club has emerged as a beacon of hope, Real Madrid. The Spanish giants are, so far, the only team capable of drawing serious crowds and generating real buzz at the Club World Cup.
All three of Madrid’s group-stage matches rank among the top five highest-attended games of the tournament. Two of those saw sold-out crowds. Their opening match against Al Hilal drew a staggering 62,415 fans, filling 95.5% of the stadium and setting a new attendance record for the tournament, surpassing even the opening game.
An Over-Reliance on One Brand
While Real Madrid’s star power has temporarily masked the event’s struggles, it also underscores a growing concern: the Club World Cup’s success appears dangerously reliant on a handful of elite clubs. Without broader global engagement and better turnout for matches involving lesser-known teams, FIFA’s vision of a universally loved club tournament could collapse under its weight.
Industry experts are now urging FIFA to rethink its strategy, from scheduling and promotion to the selection of host cities and participating clubs, if it wants to avoid turning the Club World Cup into a one-team showcase.
