Chelsea vs. Los Angeles match embarrasses FIFA

The match between Chelsea and Los Angeles FC, held on Monday evening in the first round of Group C of the 2025 Club World Cup, was clearly embarrassing for FIFA due to the low attendance. Chelsea opened their campaign in the tournament with a valuable 2-0 victory, with goals from Portuguese Pedro Neto and Argentine Enzo Fernandez. However, the team's performance under Italian coach Enzo Maresca did not live up to expectations, as they appeared far from their usual level, and the match seemed more like a pre-season friendly, with the players looking tired. The British newspaper, The Mirror, reported that the match did not live up to FIFA's expectations, especially with the low attendance of only 22,137 spectators, a disappointing number compared to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which seats 71,000 and cost more than a billion pounds to build. The newspaper drew attention to the scene dominated by empty red seats, highlighting the attendance crisis in the new 32-team tournament. In contrast, the opening match between Inter Miami and Al Ahly of Egypt in Miami saw a remarkable attendance of 60,927 spectators, while the Rose Bowl Stadium was packed with 80,000 fans during Paris Saint-Germain's crushing 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid. However, maintaining these numbers appears to be a challenge, especially in light of some matches that have not met fans' expectations.