The football match between Chelsea and Los Angeles at the Club World Cup was held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which has a capacity of 70,000 spectators, but the attendance was low with less than a third of the stands filled. Chelsea won 2-0, with goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez. Reasons for the low attendance include the large distance between Los Angeles and Atlanta, as well as unattractive match timings. Similar scenes of empty stands were observed at other matches of the tournament in the USA. This phenomenon has sparked criticism of the new format of the Club World Cup with 32 teams playing in America.
Political Perspectives:
Left: Left-leaning outlets emphasize the lack of fan engagement and criticize the commercial motives behind hosting the Club World Cup in the USA, highlighting the disconnect between the tournament format and local fan interest. They focus on the empty stadiums as a symbol of the failure to connect with grassroots football culture and question the prioritization of profit over sporting integrity.
Center: Centrist sources report the facts of the match and attendance, noting the logistical challenges such as the large distance between cities and the timing of matches as reasons for low attendance. They provide balanced coverage of the event, including match results and player performances, while acknowledging the criticism of the tournament format without strong editorializing.
Right: Right-leaning media tend to focus on the sporting achievements of Chelsea and the quality of the match, downplaying the significance of the empty stands. They may attribute low attendance to external factors like weather or scheduling and emphasize the prestige of the tournament and the participating clubs, framing the event as a positive showcase of football.
