At the Club World Cup held in Orlando, the match between Ulsan and South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns had an extremely low attendance of only 3,400 spectators in a stadium with a capacity of 25,000. This match became the worst attended in the history of the tournament. Reasons include the distance of the clubs from the venue and weather conditions that briefly delayed the match. Images of empty stands went viral, highlighting the attendance problem at this championship.
Political Perspectives:
Left: Left-leaning outlets emphasize the structural issues in global football tournaments, highlighting the lack of accessibility and engagement for fans when events are held far from the participating teams’ home regions. They may also critique the commercialization and scheduling that neglects local fan bases.
Center: Centrist sources report the facts about the low attendance, noting logistical challenges such as the distance between teams and the venue, and weather delays. They present the situation as a concern for the organizers but without strong editorializing.
Right: Right-leaning media might focus on the failure of the organizers to attract fans, possibly attributing it to poor marketing or lack of interest in certain teams. They may also emphasize the importance of traditional football markets and question the expansion of such tournaments to less relevant locations.
