Empty seats are usually a nightmare for tournament organizers. But during the recent FIFA Club World Cup, it became a surprisingly common sight. Even in massive venues, sections of stadiums sat mostly bare.
This wasn’t just a one-off problem. According to reports from the Daily Mail, the lack of fan interest became a real headache for FIFA. Despite the prestige of the event, many games simply weren’t drawing big crowds. It happened even when the weather, like heat or thunderstorms, wasn’t an issue keeping people away.
Take the match between Los Angeles FC and Chelsea, for example. It was played at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta. That stadium can hold a massive 71,000 fans. Yet, only 22,137 people showed up. Chelsea’s coach, Enzo Maresca, couldn’t help but notice. He later said, "I found the atmosphere a bit strange, the stadium was almost empty." That’s not the kind of buzz a major international tournament wants.
To avoid the embarrassing visual of cavernous, empty stands, FIFA came up with a plan. They started handing out free tickets. The idea really took off after a specific incident during the Benfica versus Chelsea game. That match was delayed by two hours with only five minutes left to play.
The Daily Mail reported that FIFA offered compensation to the fans who endured that long wait. As a gesture of goodwill, each person who attended the Benfica-Chelsea game received four free tickets. These were for a different Club World Cup match: Inter Milan against Fluminense. FIFA confirmed this was to make up for the inconvenience felt by the 25,929 fans in a stadium built for 74,867.
But the freebie practice didn’t stop there. It spread to other games that weren’t even affected by any weather delays. For instance, fans who bought tickets for the PSG versus Inter Miami game got free entries for the Borussia Dortmund versus Monterrey match. Even with these free tickets, that game still only attracted 31,442 spectators. The stadium could hold 71,000.
In another move to improve appearances, the Daily Mail also noted something interesting. From the very start of the tournament, fans were often guided to sit in areas clearly visible to television cameras. It seems FIFA wanted to ensure that on-screen, the stadiums looked as full as possible. Sometimes, a little stage management goes a long way.