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Chelsea Faces 50,000 Empty Seats: Apathy Or Poor Scheduling?

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2 months ago

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Chelsea Faces 50,000 Empty Seats: Apathy Or Poor Scheduling?

Chelsea kicked off their Fifa Club World Cup campaign against Los Angeles FC to tens of thousands of empty seats in Atlanta.

The game started at 3pm local time on a working Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The attendance was announced as 22,137, in a ground which can hold 71,000 spectators – though the entire top tier was closed.

Sources had told the BBC that Fifa was expecting a crowd of about 26,000.

A small middle tier seemed to be mostly full, but a larger bottom tier was more than half empty.

The cheapest ticket was about £37 before kick-off. During the game tickets were still on sale online for £26 – with many available in nearly every section.

Los Angeles is more than 2,000 miles away from Atlanta, across the southern United States.

LAFC’s 150 ultras dominated the atmosphere – despite Chelsea having many more fans.

The Blues supporters mainly got animated for the goals in their 2-0 win, Liam Delap’s introduction for his debut and booing major decisions.

The newly expanded Club World Cup is being treated as a dress rehearsal for the international World Cup next summer, which will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The CWC is just being played in the US.

Club World Cup: Chelsea face LAFC in front of tens of thousands of empty seats
One of the big talking points in recent weeks was whether people cared about Fifa’s new-look competition.

Ticket sales have been slow, and this was the first match of the tournament to take place on a weekday.

There will be two or three games played during regular work hours on every other weekday this week and next week until the group stage ends on Thursday, 26 June (noon, 2pm and 3pm local time).

Chelsea also played at the stadium two years ago – and almost sold out with more than 70,000 fans watching them face Newcastle in a friendly tournament named the Premier League Summer Series.

The ground is home to the MLS’s best-supported football team – Atlanta United, who average 44,037 fans per match, and also hosts the USA men’s and women’s national teams.

Club World Cup apathy or concern for World Cup?
The question on everybody’s lips is are these attendances just because fans do not really care about this revamped Club World Cup – or could this apathy continue into the actual World Cup in 2026?

BBC Sport spoke to two American journalists to get their thoughts.

Doug Roberson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks there were several factors, but “it’s not because people here don’t care about soccer”.

“The people aren’t here because it’s Monday at 3pm,” he said. “Frankly I am surprised there are as many as there are.

“It’s a tournament that doesn’t mean a lot to people in the US because it’s new. I would imagine paying to come to a tournament you don’t know didn’t appeal, because the World Cup is coming next year and people are trying to save money for that.

“If I were Fifa, for the World Cup I would have game times where more people could come. It is something to think about – and the ticket prices were ridiculous.”

Jonathan Tannenwald, chief soccer correspondent for the Philadelphia Inquirer, says Fifa’s marketing is to blame.

“When you come here you have to do a lot of marketing,” he said. “You can’t just expect people to turn up.

“There was no true local organising committee in the US because Fifa were doing it all in-house.

“We will all show up for the World Cup next summer, but for the Club World Cup they needed to market it to explain.

“Will people show up in the knockout stages? Probably. Will they show up for Chelsea v LAFC in the group stage when tickets are too expensive and the game is in Atlanta? No. They are smarter than that. That is on Fifa.”

BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty said “the sight of 50,000 empty seats will come as an early embarrassment for Fifa”.

“There have been long-held fears that this latest supposedly showpiece tournament, shoehorned into an already over-crowded calendar after a gruelling season, would struggle to capture the public imagination,” he said.

“The sea of empty red seats as Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC provided grim confirmation.

“A kick-off at 3pm US time on a Monday may have been a contributory factor, while Chelsea and Los Angeles may also struggle to attract local interest, but the lack of supporters will surely have felt uncomfortable for Fifa’s top brass, including maybe even its ultra-confident president Gianni Infantino.

“It is perhaps also an early warning for Fifa that ticket pricing should be realistic, and within reasonable reach, for games played in the United States at next summer’s World Cup.

“Fifa’s latest project is in its infancy, but this was a very bad look so early in the tournament that it has set so much store by.”

Tickets still available for all matches
Some reports pre-tournament claimed students at a Miami college, which is a partner of Fifa, were told if they bought one ticket for £14.70 they would get four free.

Tickets have been on sale under a dynamic pricing model, with prices determined by demand.

They are available for every game – with many on sale for £25.

Most games still have thousands of tickets available. Real Madrid’s opener against Al-Hilal at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium only has 200 tickets left officially – though thousands of resale ones are available.

Despite the issues there have still been some large attendances.

Fifa claims 60,927 watched the opener between Inter Miami and Al-Ahly.

The official crowd for Paris St-Germain’s 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid was 80,619.

Other attendances so far have been 21,152, 30,151 and 46,275.

The United Kingdom was the country with the 11th-most tickets sold – with the US, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Canada leading the way.

What did BBC readers think?
Jon, Aberystwyth: If the Chelsea match is boring, entertain yourself by playing Spot The Fan.

Sam, Southanpton: What was wrong with the old Club World Cup format? Because the list of things wrong with this one could go on for miles.

Matty: So much negativity about this tournament. People not used to change. So proud of my Chelsea representing the Premier League on this stage.

Scott, Preston: I don’t think it’s the fact that people aren’t used to change, I think it’s clearly the motives behind this tournament? Obviously it’s about money and no regards to players’ welfare after a long season for all the clubs involved. I love football but to be honest it’s on most nights of the week and it’s only natural that people will switch off eventually.

Terry, Hammersmith: It’s just not sustainable having elite players playing competitively every summer. For the very best in Europe, they will have Euros, Club World Cup, World Cup and then a year off. This will inevitably lead to an overall drop in quality at domestic level.

Bbc.com

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“This Is Massive”: Fans React As Super Eagles Star Sadiq Umar, El-Rufai Acquire Football Club in Nigeria

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5 days ago

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August 12, 2025

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Super Eagles forward Sadiq Umar has made a bold move by securing a football club in Nigeria, becoming the first active player to own a club

The former Nigeria U23 spent a significant part of his holidays in the country mingling with his childhood friends and teammates, including Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa.

Football fans have reacted positively to the acquisition of a local club by the former AS Roma forward…

Sadiq Umar is preparing for life after football, as he acquired a local football club in Nigeria.

The Olympic bronze medallist partnered with a current House of Representatives member to seal the move

The 28-year-old, who joined Valencia on loan from Real Sociedad in January 2025, was named La Liga Goal of the Month winner for March.

Umar buys football club
Super Eagles star Sadiq Umar, in partnership with a House of Representatives member (Kaduna North), Bello El-Rufai, has officially taken over the leadership of Ranchers Bees.

According to Punch, Umar revealed that the move aims to revive the old memories of the club for the people of Northern Nigeria.

The former Almería star explained that he grew up watching the team, which has produced numerous stars who have represented Nigeria at various continental and international competitions.

Umar said: “I and my current partner, Honourable Bello El-Rufai have a big dream of returning the club to it’s past glory days. “I grew up watching Ranchers Bees of Kaduna, a club that produced countless players, including Super Eagles legend Daniel Amokachi.”

Owners of Ranchers Bees have named former AS Roma defender, Nura Abdullahi, as their president. According to Sports Intel, Ranchers Bees will compete in the 2025/26 Nigeria National League (NNL), with the mandate of qualifying for the Nigeria Premier Football League.

Umar said the former defender has been given full operation and long-term strategy to revive the club. The Super Eagles star said: “The team is set to compete in the Nigeria National League (NNL) in the upcoming season. “Our target is to secure promotion to the NPFL. I’m elated by the feedback from Rancher Bees supporters and the people of Kaduna.”

Fans react
@Strydizzle said: “Finally, Ranchers Bees that I grew up knowing will be back 🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿.”

@ahmadatmos wrote: “Beautiful. I want all Nigerian football clubs to be fully privatized. The government should let go and you’ll see how quickly things change.”

@oil_shaeikh added: “I’m so happy about this acquisition, hopefully your leadership and passion of Sadık will give Arewa talents wasting away the necessary platform to shine in both the national league, national team and international competitions.” “Allah ya taimaka.”

@Abubakar_Mhmmad wrote: “This is truly a welcome development, we’ve been yearning for something of this magnitude. Kudos to the both of you and in Ranchers Bees 🐝 we’ve finally find something to hold onto and be proud of. Go #Ranchers.”

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Osimhen or Haaland? Sports Market Covers 100 Best Players As Season Kicks Off (Full List)

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6 days ago

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August 11, 2025

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In preparation for the upcoming football season worldwide, Ventolite Marketing International has published the 17th edition of Sports Market International (SMI), the sole sports magazine in Nigeria.

Published quarterly, Sports Market International has established a noteworthy presence within the football media landscape, extending its reach to four African nations, namely Cameroon, South Africa, Ghana, and the Republic of Benin.

The magazine’s focused approach has contributed to its acceptance in these regions. Renowned for its innovative and insightful content, the magazine has featured elite global athletes, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Emmanuel Emenike, Victor Moses, Stephen Kesh, Victor Osimhen, Kylian Mbappe, Anthony Joshua, and Ademola Lookman.

The 17th edition includes a highlight of the top 100 footballers globally across various leagues, showcasing prominent players. Additionally, it covers Chelsea Football Club, recognized as a recent history-maker for their achievements in winning all UEFA club competitions, including the FIFA World Club Cup. The Super Falcons of Nigeria also garner attention after their dramatic victory against the host nation, Morocco, securing the 10th title at the Africa Women Championship.

Furthermore, the magazine’s scope extends to an in-depth analysis of the Nigeria Premier League, wherein football experts evaluate the league’s development and the international standard players it has produced over the years.

Through its comprehensive coverage, Sports Market International continues to engage football enthusiasts with thorough narratives and analytical pieces.

At a press conference held in Lagos, Sam Okata, the Business Development Manager of Ventolite Marketing International, stated, “As the football season commences with enthusiasm in many European countries, we remain committed to providing high-quality publications as we distribute our latest edition into the market.

Our objective is to establish ourselves as a leading sports marketing magazine on the continent. Numerous vendors have suggested that we transition to a weekly publication; however, we are strategically expanding to ensure market stability. We have successfully disseminated this edition in alignment with the resumption of the European Leagues.”

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“I Can’t Believe It” – Ex-Barcelona Striker Shocked Victor Osimhen Joined Galatasaray

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1 week ago

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August 10, 2025

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Former Manchester City right-back Micah Richards and ex-Barcelona striker Gary Lineker were left stunned by Victor Osimhen’s decision to join Galatasaray on a four-year deal, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Super Eagles star spent the 2024/2025 season on loan with the Turkish Super Lig side, as Napoli’s €150m asking fee wasn’t matched by any club despite the striker’s insistence on leaving Naples.

The 26-year-old enjoyed his loan spell with the Turkish champions last season, scoring 37 goals and providing seven assists in 41 games.

Many expected Galatasaray to be Osimhen’s stepping-stone club that would open the path to the English Premier League, but it came as a surprise to see one of the best strikers in Europe moving to a club outside the top five leagues.

“Osimhen signed a deal for four years at Galatasaray in Turkey. I can’t believe it,” Micah Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast.

“A top player like that should be playing. Galatasaray is a massive club but in terms of European football he could do better than that, in my opinion.

‘He’d be top a three No.9 in the Premier League. Fact. Joao Pedro is unbelievable, but you cannot say he’s better than Osimhen. Not a chance,” the CBS Sports Golazo pundit continued.


Lineker‘s thoughts on Osimhen‘s Galatasaray move
The former England striker was also left in awe by the striker’s decision to head to Turkey in the prime of his career, but had also heard a theory as to why there wasn’t much interest from top clubs in the player this summer, as there had been in the past.

“I saw Osimhen play a couple of times against Leicester when they were in the Europa League,’ the former Leicester City forward added.

“He was so impressive and I’ve followed his career because of that. He was absolutely brilliant for Napoli. I mean, he was sensational.

“I do hear on the grapevine that a reason one or two of the clubs are a little bit nervous is that he sometimes goes missing for a few days. So, there’s apparently some kind of slight question mark as to his character in that sense,” Lineker concluded.

Former Napoli coach Francesco Calzona, recently mentioned that Osimhen doesn’t take kindly to criticism and urged the Nigerian forward to do better, as that’s his only flaw.

Osimhen is Galatasaray’s most expensive recruit in the club’s history, and he’ll be spending the next four years at RAMS Park creating memories with the Cim Bom Aslan

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