FIFA's Club World Cup branded a 'disaster' with less than 600 fans in attendance at 25,500-seater stadium in Orlando - amid calls for Gianni Infantino to 'face repercussions'

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FIFA have been hit with further embarrassment over attendances at their revamped Club World Cup after fewer than 600 fans showed up for a match at a 25,500-seater venue in Orlando on Tuesday.

The expanded and relaunched tournament had been plagued by concerns over interest and ticket sales in the build-up to its opening match between Lionel Messi's Inter Milan and Al-Ahly on Sunday - despite massive investment from the governing body as it seeks to make the Club World Cup the premier international tournament.

Chelsea's first game against Los Angeles FC, played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday was more than three-quarters empty with just 22,000 fans inside the 75,000-capacity venue.

General admission tickets were on sale for £38 but such was the lack of interest that the entire top tier of the stadium was closed.

As a result, ticket prices are being slashed across the competition, with local college students able to pick up a seat at the tournament opener for as little as $20.

Mail Sport reported this week that fears over the apparent lack of fans at top-tier matches have even forced the tournament to move fans to ensure that empty seats are not caught by television cameras.

I count 97 people at Ulsan vs Mamelodi Sundowns here in Orlando

This has to be the worst attendance of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup so far? pic.twitter.com/2TkHskwMC4 — Maher Mezahi (@MezahiMaher) June 17, 2025

Ahead of kick-off the stands at the Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida were nearly empty

The weather-delayed clash between Mamelodi Sundowns FC (pictured) and Ulsan HD FC appeared to have a low attendance

Even the draw of Lionel Messi in the competition opener was unable to sell-out the stadium

But few of the FIFA hierarchy will have predicted as disappointing a turnout as at the Inter & Co Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

Journalist Maher Mezahi reported on social media that ahead of kick-off between South Korean side Ulsan and South African outfit Mamelodi Sundowns, there were just 97 people inside the 25,500 capacity venue.

With 10 minutes to go before the match started, Mezahi shared that he believed just 557 fans had made it to the game, with fewer than 1,000 predicted to make it for match action.

The game was delayed by adverse weather and teams were forced back inside, with the match eventually kicking off just over an hour late.

Fans on social media predicted that even fewer may have turned out, with one posting: 'This FIFA Club World Cup is an absolute disaster for the smaller teams. How many fans are in Orlando? 200?'

Another added: 'Seen bigger crowds at non-league football grounds than this match in Orlando for the Club World Cup...'

A third pointed out the potential for consequences for such low attendance, wondering: 'If it's true that there are less than 1,000 people at Ulsan vs Sundowns in the Club World Cup then that's mad.

'I've just watched now and can barely make out a crowd at all.

Weather forced the two teams to retreat to the dressing rooms before their eventual late kick-off time

But with fewer than 1,000 fans in attendance, FIFA will hope that their clash is a one-off

The stadium was designed to fit a capacity of over 25,000 fans - but there was masses of empty seats on Tuesday

The number of fans inside the stadium barely improved even when the game finally began

The fans that were there however showed up in colourful dress and eager to support their side

'If attendances continue to be that low, surely Infantino will face repercussions??? (laughing cry face) who am I kidding, the king won't depose himself (laughing cry face).'

Pictures from the clash in Orlando once it finally began showed swathes of empty seats.

The Group F contest is, however, between two of the smaller clubs competing at the tournament and from countries - South Korea and South Africa - that are thousands of miles away from the US.

But the pictures will no doubt leave FIFA officials red-faced as they came just hours after the governing body boasted in a press release about selling nearly 1.5 million tickets for the Club World Cup.

Tickets for the tournament have been sold under a dynamic pricing model, which sees prices determined by demand.

FIFA cut costs for tickets to the Inter Miami opening clash at Miami's Hard Rock Arena in a bid to fill the seats, and eventually over 60,000 seats at the 65,000-capacity stadium were filled.

Despite the apparent lack of interest on the ground in the United States, the prize pot teams can expect a share of is indicative of FIFA's interest in making the tournament the jewel in its crown.

An eye-watering £775m is up for grabs, with £20m guaranteed for European teams simply for attending the competition.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been bullish about the strong interest in the new event

Chelsea opened their campaign on American soil in front of just 22,000 fans in the 75,000 capacity Mercedes-Benz Arena

After getting off the mark in Atlanta, Chelsea will have earned themselves £1.5million

But LaLiga president Javier Tebas is not a fan of the new competition, saying that his role was to 'eliminate it' from the calendar

Clubs will make £1.5m for every group-stage victory, and £800,000 for every draw.

A last-16 win comes with a £6m bonus with the prize money rising to £30m-plus from there.

FIFA told Mail Sport ahead of the start of the competition that interest in the tournament was clear based on the global fanbase flocking to the USA to watch matches in person.

'We anticipate great attendances and electric atmospheres at its inaugural edition, with excitement growing with every round of matches and the tournament ultimately standing as the undisputed pinnacle of club world football,' a statement read.

'The appetite speaks for itself: fans from over 130 countries have already purchased tickets.

'The top 10 markets are led by the United States, followed by Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, France, Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Portugal - a clear sign of global anticipation and reach.'

But not everyone has been won over by FIFA's overtures, with LaLiga president Javier Tebas hitting out at the competition on Tuesday.

'My goal is to ensure there are no more Club World Cups, that's very clear,' the 62-year-old said. 'There's no need for yet another competition that moves money to a sector of clubs and players and comes from somewhere.

'There's no more money here; we have to maintain the ecosystem and eliminate it.

'Keep it as it was before, which was a weekend. There's no way, neither in terms of dates, nor economics, nor maintaining the sustainability of football.'

The LaLiga president admitted he had watched 25 minutes of Chelsea's 2-0 win over Los Angeles but criticised the fixture for looking like 'a preseason friendly', adding: 'I didn't see any intensity.'

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