Club World Cup Attendance Upset Makes Chelsea Stars Take Action After Ticket Price Plunge

“They’re in the semi-final because they’ve done the right things. It will be a very equal game,” Marc Cucurella told reporters before the semi-final match against Fluminense in the 2025 Club World Cup. While the Spanish defender’s statement made it clear that Chelsea was bracing up to take on the Brazilian club at the FIFA tournament in MetLife stadium on Tuesday, what Cucurella probably didn’t take into account was that they had to fight both on and off the field in order to exhibit their talents to the fans.

Despite being a top-tier soccer tournament, the Club World Cup has struggled with filling stadiums. With many matches being scheduled in the afternoon, the sight of fans in every seat at the venues has been a rare occurrence. However, considering how Chelsea was gearing up to reunite with former team captain Thiago Silva on the pitch, Cucurella and his teammates had to do something to make sure the meet-up was witnessed by as many fans as possible.

An article by Front Office Sports from July 8 revealed how Chelsea did its best to encourage more fans to hit the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday. In the days leading up to the first semi-final match of the Club World Cup, FIFA kept dropping ticket prices as sales weren’t showing favorable numbers. In a span of days, the prices for the Chelsea vs Fluminense match plummeted from $475 to just $13, prompting several players of the British club, including star Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez, to take to social media and share Ticketmaster links to purchase tickets for the match.

As of Tuesday morning, the get-in price for the match sat at $45. The numbers for this match were especially concerning, considering how the ticket for the second Club World Cup semi-final match between Real Madrid and PSG was priced at an average of $165. And the price disparity was despite the fact that both semi-final matches were slated to kick off at 3 pm.

However, while the afternoon timing is understandably a deterrent in bringing in more fans, it’s not like the MetLife Stadium has seen bustling crowds over the span of the tournament, either. The New Jersey venue hosted five group stage matches of the Club World Cup so far, and attendance has been highly inconsistent, to say the least.

The two matches scheduled at the MetLife Stadium at noon drew 35,000 fans each, while a Monday evening match recorded 40,000 fans in the stands. On the opening Sunday’s match, 45,000 soccer fans showed up at the venue to watch the action unfold on the pitch. However, the Club World Cup quarterfinal match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid drew 76,611 fans on Saturday afternoon.

Obviously, for Chelsea, playing from of such few fans isn’t a common occurrence. After all, the British club plays almost all of its matches in front of sold-out crowds across the UK throughout the entire season. But that’s not all. In the quarterfinal match against Palmeiras in the Club World Cup this year, Chelsea defeated the Brazilian team in front of a 65,500-strong crowd on Friday in Philadelphia.

But the tanking number of fans wasn’t enough to shift the focus of Enzo Maresca’s boys from the task at hand.

Chelsea fights through poor attendance to inch closer to the Club World Cup trophy

On July 8, Chelsea trounced Fluminense thanks to a brace by João Pedro. The 23-year-old forward was signed by the London club just six days ago, and it suffices to say that the Brazilian has made quite the impression with his new club. His first goal was shot from the left side of the box, sending the ball swerving into the far right corner, making the Fluminense goalie’s desperate attempt at blocking it look amateurish.

Pedro impressed not only his teammates, but also the former Chelsea captain, Thiago Silva, as well. “This kid is special; I have a lot of affection for him…One of our kids knocks us out of such an important competition, but congratulations to him,” said the legendary defender about the newest Chelsea signee to reporters after the match.

Quite the way to announce your arrival, huh? Now, with the semi-final match in the pocket, the sight turns to Sunday, when Chelsea will face either the Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid or the 2025 UEFA Champions League winner, PSG, in the Club World Cup final. While attendance does continue to cause concerns among the soccer fans, it’s also true that Chelsea has earned quite a lot from the tournament already.

So, do you think Maresca’s team can keep its head in the game for just one more match? Share your thoughts on why attendance has been so shambolic at the Club World Cup below!