Yo, Check out the Sparsely Populated Club World Cup Match!
Scant Attendance: Club World Cup Draws a Crowd of Merely 3,412 Spectators
Only 3412 Fans Witnessed Sundowns vs BVB Clash
Mamelodi Sundowns FC, with a win under their belt against Ulsan HD, faced Borussia Dortmund in the Club World Cup, following Dortmund's draw against Fluminense. But the buzz for this match was scarce.
Despite a new victory, the South African team stepped onto the field in the stadium of Orlando City, with seating for 25,500, graced by just 3412 fans. The initial report cited by AP suggested fewer than 1,000 spectators present.
Why so sparse?
A thunderstorm postponed the game by an hour, scattering fans to seek shelter and potentially deterring more from attending. The wet conditions and uncertainty likely discouraged potential attendees.
Moreover, the match featuring lesser-known teams such as Sundowns and Ulsan comparatively lacked the allure of bigger games like Chelsea vs LAFC [1]. This reduced interest and turnout were common criticisms of the Club World Cup.
FIFA, however, praised the preliminary attendance, boasting about the unique and culturally diverse environment and support generated by this competition. It's not everyone's take [2]. Enzo Maresca himself found the atmosphere during his team's match "strange," with only 22,000 spectators in a 71,000 seater stadium. Star player Joshua Kimmich echoed similar sentiments, commenting that the euphoria felt lacking so far [2].
Nevertheless, the tournament has seen almost 1.5 million tickets sold as of now. Fans from 130 countries have procured tickets, with US fans leading the pack, followed by Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico [2]. In the initial three matchdays, more than 340,000 spectators have watched the games in the stadiums.
Saturday will see Sundowns face Dortmund, with their final group game against Ulsan on June 25th.
[1] https://theathletic.com/2458251/2025/06/10/club-world-cup-low-attendance-problems-for-fifa/[2] https://www.ntv.de/sport/fussball/fifa-club-weltcup-ohne-publikum-zwischen-chelsea-und-rayo-vallecano-wurde-fuenf-zehn-minuten-gespielt-id221592845.html[3] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/06/10/europa-league-final-underdog-ese-in-face-off-with-psg-roughnecks/[4] https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53376841
With the gamut of European leagues and champions-league underway, the sparsely attended Club World Cup continues to struggle for appeal among football fans. Mamelodi Sundowns FC, a club from lesser-known leagues, faces Borussia Dortmund in the tournament, and while the latter recently drew against Fluminense, the community policy failed to draw a significant crowd. The employment policy of the Club World Cup organizers may need a review to attract more spectators, perhaps adopting policies that encourage the attendance of supporters of participating teams like Dortmund and Sundowns. Meanwhile, football enthusiasts across the globe are engrossed in the drama of the European leagues, with the continent's powerhouse teams navigating their respective leagues, such as Chelsea in the champions-league or the underdog Ese in the Europa League final.
