FIFA announced the sale of nearly 1.5 million Club World Cup tickets, many matches still have no spectators

TPO - Although the International Football Federation (FIFA) confirmed that it had sold nearly 1.5 million tickets for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and attracted fans from more than 130 countries, many matches in the US still took place in a quiet atmosphere with empty stands.

The stands at the Chelsea - Los Angeles FC match were empty.

The opening match on June 15 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where superstar Lionel Messi played for Inter Miami, attracted more than 60,000 spectators. A day later, nearly 80,000 people packed the Rose Bowl to watch PSG defeat Atletico Madrid with a score of 4-0.

However, not all matches receive enthusiastic support. The match between Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense on June 17 at MetLife Stadium (New Jersey) had only a modest number of spectators in the stands, even though this was a match between the Champions League runner-up and the current South American runner-up.

Similarly, Chelsea won 2-0 against Los Angeles FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), which has a capacity of 71,000 seats but only welcomed more than 22,000 people to watch.

“I felt the atmosphere was strange,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said after the match in front of empty stands.

However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino remains optimistic: “This is exactly what the FIFA Club World Cup is all about: a world- class stage where new stories are written, new heroes emerge, and football fans feel part of something bigger.”

FIFA said the tournament is an important stepping stone for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico next year. FIFA's goal is to rekindle the love of football among Americans, who are still interested in sports such as football or basketball.

However, many concerns have been raised even before the tournament. The consequences of the 2024 Copa America, which was criticized for its poor quality pitches, often empty stands and serious security incidents in the final match in Miami, are still present.

In addition, ensuring the players' fitness is also a difficult problem. The tournament takes place in the middle of summer, forcing European clubs to play an additional three to seven matches right after the end of the 2024/25 season and will soon enter the new season from August.

Faced with this situation, La Liga President Javier Tebas has openly criticized: "The FIFA Club World Cup is an absurdity. This tournament needs to be removed from the international calendar."

Trong Dat

Source: https://tienphong.vn/fifa-cong-bo-ban-gan-15-trieu-ve-club-world-cup-nhieu-tran-van-vang-khan-gia-post1752247.tpo