23/6/2025–|Last update: 19:31 (Mecca time)
Perhaps the celebrations of the fans of Arab teams and South America ignited the atmosphere in the FIFA World Cup, and unfortunately for the US hosting of the tournament, this festive atmosphere did not open all parts of the country, as some matches are held in the presence of very few fans.
The International Football Association (FIFA) hoped that the expanded version of the championship, which includes many of the best clubs in the world, would increase enthusiasm towards football in a country where opinions were towards the first popular game in the world contradictory, in light of America’s willingness to host the 2026 World Cup in partnership with Canada and Mexico.
With the sale of about 1.5 million tickets just days after the start of the tournament, there is still a big gap between the number of fans in the stadiums hosting the tournament.
In only two games, the Argentine fans of Boca Juniors took possession of the Hard Rock Stadium, and turned it into the Bombonera stadium of its team, to fill it with unparalleled passion at the Club World Cup.
Boca’s fans formed the majority of the fans who attended the match against Benfica, which numbered 55 thousand, 574 spectators, and the matter was similar in the match that Bayern Munich won 2-1 against the Argentine team last Friday and attended by 63 thousand 587 fans.
“My career (as a player) was long, during which I watched a lot. However, there are times I want to return a player for some time, and the night was one of those times,” Bayern coach Vinson Kompany said after the Boca match.
“They (the Boca Juniors fans) were distinguished. The audience was excited in the best possible way. This is what I love in football. Many fans will pay money to watch that.”
The atmosphere made by Boca fans, along with the presence of Inter Miami Lionel Messi in the opening match of the tournament and Real Madrid, made Hard Rock Stadium as a football capital in America with an average crowd of 60,000 626 spectators.
The Hard Rock Stadium, which hosted the Super Ball (the American Football League final) six times, is about 66,000 spectators.
With Potafogo a sudden 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, winner of the Champions League, and Flamingo 3-1 victory over Chelsea, the first week was good for the Brazilian clubs in the championship that expanded to 32 teams after it included only seven teams.
“I love when I see Potafojo, all the Brazilian teams, Argentine teams, how they celebrate and how they are together, I love them,” Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola told reporters.
“I love how all the matches are close, except for a match or two, people are surprised by the loss of European teams, but welcome to the real world. Welcome to the real world, my friends.”
It is not surprising that this huge stadium will witness some amazing results, after Bayern Munich won the German league champions over Auckland City, consisting of 10-zero amateur players in its opening match.
The masses of Arab teams
Despite the decline in the results of the Arab teams in the Club World Cup 2025, their fans recorded a great presence in the stadiums, starting from Al -Ahly to the Moroccan Wydad, Al -Ain Al -Emirati and the Tunisian Esperance, to the Saudi Crescent, whose fans did not stop encouraging throughout his matches against Real Madrid and Selburg.
“A strange atmosphere”
While some host cities did not face any problem in the mass attendance, including Los Angeles, which received 80,000 619 people at the Rose Ball stadium to attend the Paris Saint -Germain and Atletico Madrid match, other cities suffered.
The Ulsan match against Mamelodi Sun Downs started at seven in the evening local time in Orlando in front of 3412 fans at the Inter and Co stadium, which can accommodate more than 25 thousand spectators, while he did not attend the match at six o’clock in the evening local time in Singinati on Wednesday between Pachuca and Selburg only 5282 spectators at the TQL stadium, which has a number of 26 thousand seats.
“The atmosphere was a little strange,” Chelsea coach Enzo Marisca told reporters after winning his 2-0 team over Los Angeles FC in front of a little more than 22,000 fans at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which accommodates more than 70,000 spectators.
The organizers face a great challenge, which is to fill the stands in the huge stadiums that are often used in sport that represents addiction to the American people, American football, with four games per day in the group stage.
While the small football stadiums in the United States abound, the Club World Cup gives the organizers an opportunity to test some of the stadiums that FIFA expects to be filled with the last in the 2026 World Cup.
And if Viva hopes that the local population will snatch tickets to watch a world -class football championship, their matches will be held against their homes, the evidence indicates that the fans coming from abroad will be defending to get seats to watch the World Cup next year, not the Americans.