Chelsea vs LAFC was played in a half-empty stadium. (Image: Getty)
FIFA chiefs have been left embarrassed as Chelsea's Club World Cup opener against LAFC was played in front of a half-empty stadium. The 71,000 capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was filled with empty red seats, indicating a flop in ticket sales.
Despite a clear lack of demand, general admission tickets were still on sale for as high as £38 ($51) on Monday. The impressive £1billion stadium appeared far from half full at kick-off. Pre-match estimates suggested an expected crowd of around 26,000, though exact figures are difficult to determine.
In response to poor uptake, FIFA had lowered prices for matches in the States, resulting in better-than-anticipated attendances over the weekend.
Inter Miami's opening match of the tournament, featuring Lionel Messi, attracted 60,927 spectators for their game against Al Ahly.
Over 80,000 fans flocked to the Rose Bowl on Sunday to witness Paris Saint-Germain's 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid.
However, the match in Atlanta, scheduled for 3pm local time on a typical workday Monday, failed to draw the same level of interest.
The scheduling has evidently been problematic, and the number of vacant seats will undoubtedly be a disappointment to FIFA at the commencement of their revamped 32-team tournament.
The winners stand to receive £97m in prize money, with a total pot of £775m distributed throughout the four-week tournament held across the States.
Bayern Munich's staggering 10-goal victory in the Club World Cup has captured the attention of British viewers, with a whopping 560,000 tuning in to watch the German giants dismantle Auckland City on Channel 5.
Pedro Neto opened the scoring against LAFC. (Image: Getty)
The new tournament is proving to be a draw for fans, with an average of 392,000 watching the match, while England's under-21s also pulled in impressive figures on Channel 4.
Channel 5's live coverage of the tournament from the US, thanks to a deal with DAZN, could become a fan favourite if these numbers are anything to go by.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca named £30m newcomer Liam Delap among his substitutes for the opener. However, the Argentine tipped him to be England's future striker.
Maresca, who previously coached Delap in Manchester City's academy, believes the striker has what it takes to follow in Harry Kane's footsteps as the nation's leading forward.
He said: "When we faced Ipswich, before we faced Ipswich, so Liam was not a Chelsea player, I said that for me, Liam, potentially, he can be England number nine.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
"So he was not even with us. And for sure now that he's with us, I'm going to say again that I don't have any doubt that he can be in the future England number nine.
"And then the other one, we'll see. Liam knows quite well how important the number nine is for this club.
"Personally, I don't see any problem with that in terms of, I see Liam quite relaxed, easy, he's doing well, since he arrived, he's working well.
"We know each other from years ago, so I know what Liam can give us, and he knows what we can give to him to improve and to become a better player.
"And again in terms of number nine, hopefully he can score goals for us."
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
- 1 OFFICIAL: Sevilla sign former Chelsea star Cesar Azpilicueta
- 2 OFFICIAL: Alejandro Garnacho joins Chelsea from Manchester United
- 3 Lucas Paqueta to leave West Ham! Aston Villa close in on £47m loan-to-buy deal to sign attacking midfielder
- 4 Liverpool table fresh Marc Guehi bid as Reds hope £35m proposal will finally convince Crystal Palace to sell centre-back
- 5 TIPS - Nagoya Grampus VS FC Tokyo
- 6 Should Manchester United transfer Bruno Fernandes away?
- 7 Preview: What to expect when Arsenal visit Liverpool
- 8 VAR controversy masks Chelsea's issues in win over Fulham
- 9 Tottenham’s new star Xavi Simons was mentored by Neymar
- 10 DONE DEAL: AC Milan splash out for Chelsea striker Nkunku