Empty Seats Plague Club World Cup, Raising Red Flags for 2026 World Cup

Empty Seats Mar Club World Cup Group Stage, Raising Concerns Ahead of 2026 World Cup

The FIFA Club World Cup group stage has concluded with a concerning statistic: a staggering one million empty seats across the 48 matches played. This revelation comes just a year before the United States is set to host the highly anticipated 2026 World Cup, raising questions about fan engagement and ticket sales.

Of the teams progressing to the round of 16, nine hail from Europe, four from Brazil, and one each from Major League Soccer (MLS), Mexico, and Saudi Arabia.

Attendance figures reveal that only 56.7% of the available public capacity was filled during the group stage. Some matches experienced particularly low turnout, with crowds of just 3,412 and 6,730 in Orlando, Florida, and 5,282 and 8,239 in Cincinnati. Despite repeated requests from The Associated Press, FIFA has not disclosed the specific capacities of the venues used for the tournament.

The total announced attendance for the group stage was 1.67 million out of a possible 2.95 million, resulting in an average attendance of 34,746 per match.

Notably, some of the venues slated to host matches in the upcoming 2026 World Cup also experienced underwhelming attendance. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the designated location for next year's final, saw only 44.9% of its capacity filled across five matches. Similarly, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the 1994 World Cup final was held, reached only 50% capacity.

Other 2026 World Cup sites fared somewhat better, with Miami Gardens, Florida, filling 81.8% of its capacity, Philadelphia at 61.6%, Seattle at 52%, and Atlanta at 44.3%.

Despite the concerning attendance figures, FIFA released a statement emphasizing the tournament's global appeal: "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 numbers offer a mixed perspective. The 12 games broadcast with English commentary on TNT, TBS, and truTV averaged 360,000 viewers through Monday, with seven matches on nights and weekends drawing an average of 409,000 viewers.