A million empty seats for Club World Cup group stage
After a group stage played in front of more than one million empty seats, the Club World Cup moves on to the knockout rounds that could soon resemble a Champions League clone.
Nine teams that advanced to the round of 16 are from Europe along with four from Brazil and one each from Major League Soccer, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
About 56.7 per cent of publicly listed capacity was filled for the 48 group stage matches, which included crowds of 3,412 and 6,730 in Orlando, Florida; 5,282 and 8,239 in Cincinnati.
Total announced attendance was 1.67 million from 2.95 million capacity, an average of 34,746.
Just 44.9 per cent was filled for five matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the site of next year's World Cup final, and 50 per cent at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the 1994 championship game was played.
Among other 2026 sites, 81.8 per cent of capacity was filled in Miami Gardens, Florida, 61.6 per cent in Philadelphia, 52 per cent in Seattle and 44.3 per cent in Atlanta.
FIFA spokesman Bryan Swanson did not respond to a request for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss the tournament and attendance.
FIFA issued a statement that said: "The appetite of the tournament speaks for itself: fans from 168 countries have already purchased tickets ... a clear sign of global anticipation and reach."
The 12 games televised with English commentary on TNT, TBS and truTV averaged 360,000 viewers through Monday, including 409,000 for seven matches on nights and weekends.
The second round opens Saturday with an all-Brazilian matchup of Palmeiras and Botafogo, followed by Chelsea-Benfica later in the day.
Sunday starts with the high-profile meeting of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi against European champions Paris Saint-Germain and is followed by Bayern Munich-Flamengo.
Inter Milan-Fluminese and Manchester City-Al Hilal are on Monday, and Real Madrid-Juventus and Borussia Dortmund-Monterrey on Tuesday.
European teams won 16 of the 17 previous editions of an eight-team Club World Cup, the lone exception a 2012 victory by Brazil's Corinthians over Chelsea.
Five of the 12 stadiums being used are sites for next year's World Cup, which will have 104 matches instead of 64 and many more games lacking prestigious teams and players.
There were five weather delays in the Club World Cup group stage and temperatures at times rose well over 90 degrees (32 Celsius), a sign that climate change could impact next year's World Cup. However, four of the stadiums for next year's tournament have roofs and climate control.
After a group stage played in front of more than one million empty seats, the Club World Cup moves on to the knockout rounds that could soon resemble a Champions League clone.
Nine teams that advanced to the round of 16 are from Europe along with four from Brazil and one each from Major League Soccer, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
About 56.7 per cent of publicly listed capacity was filled for the 48 group stage matches, which included crowds of 3,412 and 6,730 in Orlando, Florida; 5,282 and 8,239 in Cincinnati.
Total announced attendance was 1.67 million from 2.95 million capacity, an average of 34,746.
Just 44.9 per cent was filled for five matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the site of next year's World Cup final, and 50 per cent at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the 1994 championship game was played.
Among other 2026 sites, 81.8 per cent of capacity was filled in Miami Gardens, Florida, 61.6 per cent in Philadelphia, 52 per cent in Seattle and 44.3 per cent in Atlanta.
FIFA spokesman Bryan Swanson did not respond to a request for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss the tournament and attendance.
FIFA issued a statement that said: "The appetite of the tournament speaks for itself: fans from 168 countries have already purchased tickets ... a clear sign of global anticipation and reach."
The 12 games televised with English commentary on TNT, TBS and truTV averaged 360,000 viewers through Monday, including 409,000 for seven matches on nights and weekends.
The second round opens Saturday with an all-Brazilian matchup of Palmeiras and Botafogo, followed by Chelsea-Benfica later in the day.
Sunday starts with the high-profile meeting of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi against European champions Paris Saint-Germain and is followed by Bayern Munich-Flamengo.
Inter Milan-Fluminese and Manchester City-Al Hilal are on Monday, and Real Madrid-Juventus and Borussia Dortmund-Monterrey on Tuesday.
European teams won 16 of the 17 previous editions of an eight-team Club World Cup, the lone exception a 2012 victory by Brazil's Corinthians over Chelsea.
Five of the 12 stadiums being used are sites for next year's World Cup, which will have 104 matches instead of 64 and many more games lacking prestigious teams and players.
There were five weather delays in the Club World Cup group stage and temperatures at times rose well over 90 degrees (32 Celsius), a sign that climate change could impact next year's World Cup. However, four of the stadiums for next year's tournament have roofs and climate control.
After a group stage played in front of more than one million empty seats, the Club World Cup moves on to the knockout rounds that could soon resemble a Champions League clone.
Nine teams that advanced to the round of 16 are from Europe along with four from Brazil and one each from Major League Soccer, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
About 56.7 per cent of publicly listed capacity was filled for the 48 group stage matches, which included crowds of 3,412 and 6,730 in Orlando, Florida; 5,282 and 8,239 in Cincinnati.
Total announced attendance was 1.67 million from 2.95 million capacity, an average of 34,746.
Just 44.9 per cent was filled for five matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the site of next year's World Cup final, and 50 per cent at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the 1994 championship game was played.
Among other 2026 sites, 81.8 per cent of capacity was filled in Miami Gardens, Florida, 61.6 per cent in Philadelphia, 52 per cent in Seattle and 44.3 per cent in Atlanta.
FIFA spokesman Bryan Swanson did not respond to a request for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss the tournament and attendance.
FIFA issued a statement that said: "The appetite of the tournament speaks for itself: fans from 168 countries have already purchased tickets ... a clear sign of global anticipation and reach."
The 12 games televised with English commentary on TNT, TBS and truTV averaged 360,000 viewers through Monday, including 409,000 for seven matches on nights and weekends.
The second round opens Saturday with an all-Brazilian matchup of Palmeiras and Botafogo, followed by Chelsea-Benfica later in the day.
Sunday starts with the high-profile meeting of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi against European champions Paris Saint-Germain and is followed by Bayern Munich-Flamengo.
Inter Milan-Fluminese and Manchester City-Al Hilal are on Monday, and Real Madrid-Juventus and Borussia Dortmund-Monterrey on Tuesday.
European teams won 16 of the 17 previous editions of an eight-team Club World Cup, the lone exception a 2012 victory by Brazil's Corinthians over Chelsea.
Five of the 12 stadiums being used are sites for next year's World Cup, which will have 104 matches instead of 64 and many more games lacking prestigious teams and players.
There were five weather delays in the Club World Cup group stage and temperatures at times rose well over 90 degrees (32 Celsius), a sign that climate change could impact next year's World Cup. However, four of the stadiums for next year's tournament have roofs and climate control.
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The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
A million empty seats for Club World Cup group stage
After a group stage played in front of more than one million empty seats, the Club World Cup moves on to the knockout rounds that could soon resemble a Champions League clone. Nine teams that advanced to the round of 16 are from Europe along with four from Brazil and one each from Major League Soccer, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. About 56.7 per cent of publicly listed capacity was filled for the 48 group stage matches, which included crowds of 3,412 and 6,730 in Orlando, Florida; 5,282 and 8,239 in Cincinnati. Total announced attendance was 1.67 million from 2.95 million capacity, an average of 34,746. Just 44.9 per cent was filled for five matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the site of next year's World Cup final, and 50 per cent at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the 1994 championship game was played. Among other 2026 sites, 81.8 per cent of capacity was filled in Miami Gardens, Florida, 61.6 per cent in Philadelphia, 52 per cent in Seattle and 44.3 per cent in Atlanta. FIFA spokesman Bryan Swanson did not respond to a request for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss the tournament and attendance. FIFA issued a statement that said: "The appetite of the tournament speaks for itself: fans from 168 countries have already purchased tickets ... a clear sign of global anticipation and reach." The 12 games televised with English commentary on TNT, TBS and truTV averaged 360,000 viewers through Monday, including 409,000 for seven matches on nights and weekends. The second round opens Saturday with an all-Brazilian matchup of Palmeiras and Botafogo, followed by Chelsea-Benfica later in the day. Sunday starts with the high-profile meeting of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi against European champions Paris Saint-Germain and is followed by Bayern Munich-Flamengo. Inter Milan-Fluminese and Manchester City-Al Hilal are on Monday, and Real Madrid-Juventus and Borussia Dortmund-Monterrey on Tuesday. European teams won 16 of the 17 previous editions of an eight-team Club World Cup, the lone exception a 2012 victory by Brazil's Corinthians over Chelsea. Five of the 12 stadiums being used are sites for next year's World Cup, which will have 104 matches instead of 64 and many more games lacking prestigious teams and players. There were five weather delays in the Club World Cup group stage and temperatures at times rose well over 90 degrees (32 Celsius), a sign that climate change could impact next year's World Cup. However, four of the stadiums for next year's tournament have roofs and climate control. After a group stage played in front of more than one million empty seats, the Club World Cup moves on to the knockout rounds that could soon resemble a Champions League clone. Nine teams that advanced to the round of 16 are from Europe along with four from Brazil and one each from Major League Soccer, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. About 56.7 per cent of publicly listed capacity was filled for the 48 group stage matches, which included crowds of 3,412 and 6,730 in Orlando, Florida; 5,282 and 8,239 in Cincinnati. Total announced attendance was 1.67 million from 2.95 million capacity, an average of 34,746. Just 44.9 per cent was filled for five matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the site of next year's World Cup final, and 50 per cent at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the 1994 championship game was played. Among other 2026 sites, 81.8 per cent of capacity was filled in Miami Gardens, Florida, 61.6 per cent in Philadelphia, 52 per cent in Seattle and 44.3 per cent in Atlanta. FIFA spokesman Bryan Swanson did not respond to a request for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss the tournament and attendance. FIFA issued a statement that said: "The appetite of the tournament speaks for itself: fans from 168 countries have already purchased tickets ... a clear sign of global anticipation and reach." The 12 games televised with English commentary on TNT, TBS and truTV averaged 360,000 viewers through Monday, including 409,000 for seven matches on nights and weekends. The second round opens Saturday with an all-Brazilian matchup of Palmeiras and Botafogo, followed by Chelsea-Benfica later in the day. Sunday starts with the high-profile meeting of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi against European champions Paris Saint-Germain and is followed by Bayern Munich-Flamengo. Inter Milan-Fluminese and Manchester City-Al Hilal are on Monday, and Real Madrid-Juventus and Borussia Dortmund-Monterrey on Tuesday. European teams won 16 of the 17 previous editions of an eight-team Club World Cup, the lone exception a 2012 victory by Brazil's Corinthians over Chelsea. Five of the 12 stadiums being used are sites for next year's World Cup, which will have 104 matches instead of 64 and many more games lacking prestigious teams and players. There were five weather delays in the Club World Cup group stage and temperatures at times rose well over 90 degrees (32 Celsius), a sign that climate change could impact next year's World Cup. However, four of the stadiums for next year's tournament have roofs and climate control. After a group stage played in front of more than one million empty seats, the Club World Cup moves on to the knockout rounds that could soon resemble a Champions League clone. Nine teams that advanced to the round of 16 are from Europe along with four from Brazil and one each from Major League Soccer, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. About 56.7 per cent of publicly listed capacity was filled for the 48 group stage matches, which included crowds of 3,412 and 6,730 in Orlando, Florida; 5,282 and 8,239 in Cincinnati. Total announced attendance was 1.67 million from 2.95 million capacity, an average of 34,746. Just 44.9 per cent was filled for five matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the site of next year's World Cup final, and 50 per cent at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the 1994 championship game was played. Among other 2026 sites, 81.8 per cent of capacity was filled in Miami Gardens, Florida, 61.6 per cent in Philadelphia, 52 per cent in Seattle and 44.3 per cent in Atlanta. FIFA spokesman Bryan Swanson did not respond to a request for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss the tournament and attendance. FIFA issued a statement that said: "The appetite of the tournament speaks for itself: fans from 168 countries have already purchased tickets ... a clear sign of global anticipation and reach." The 12 games televised with English commentary on TNT, TBS and truTV averaged 360,000 viewers through Monday, including 409,000 for seven matches on nights and weekends. The second round opens Saturday with an all-Brazilian matchup of Palmeiras and Botafogo, followed by Chelsea-Benfica later in the day. Sunday starts with the high-profile meeting of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi against European champions Paris Saint-Germain and is followed by Bayern Munich-Flamengo. Inter Milan-Fluminese and Manchester City-Al Hilal are on Monday, and Real Madrid-Juventus and Borussia Dortmund-Monterrey on Tuesday. European teams won 16 of the 17 previous editions of an eight-team Club World Cup, the lone exception a 2012 victory by Brazil's Corinthians over Chelsea. Five of the 12 stadiums being used are sites for next year's World Cup, which will have 104 matches instead of 64 and many more games lacking prestigious teams and players. There were five weather delays in the Club World Cup group stage and temperatures at times rose well over 90 degrees (32 Celsius), a sign that climate change could impact next year's World Cup. However, four of the stadiums for next year's tournament have roofs and climate control.
Perth Now
10 hours ago
- Perth Now
A million empty seats for Club World Cup group stage
After a group stage played in front of more than one million empty seats, the Club World Cup moves on to the knockout rounds that could soon resemble a Champions League clone. Nine teams that advanced to the round of 16 are from Europe along with four from Brazil and one each from Major League Soccer, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. About 56.7 per cent of publicly listed capacity was filled for the 48 group stage matches, which included crowds of 3,412 and 6,730 in Orlando, Florida; 5,282 and 8,239 in Cincinnati. FIFA did not provide specific capacities for the tournament despite repeated requests from The Associated Press. Total announced attendance was 1.67 million from 2.95 million capacity, an average of 34,746. Just 44.9 per cent was filled for five matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the site of next year's World Cup final, and 50 per cent at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the 1994 championship game was played. Among other 2026 sites, 81.8 per cent of capacity was filled in Miami Gardens, Florida, 61.6 per cent in Philadelphia, 52 per cent in Seattle and 44.3 per cent in Atlanta. FIFA spokesman Bryan Swanson did not respond to a request for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss the tournament and attendance. FIFA issued a statement that said: "The appetite of the tournament speaks for itself: fans from 168 countries have already purchased tickets ... a clear sign of global anticipation and reach." The 12 games televised with English commentary on TNT, TBS and truTV averaged 360,000 viewers through Monday, including 409,000 for seven matches on nights and weekends. The second round opens Saturday with an all-Brazilian matchup of Palmeiras and Botafogo, followed by Chelsea-Benfica later in the day. Sunday starts with the high-profile meeting of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi against European champions Paris Saint-Germain and is followed by Bayern Munich-Flamengo. Inter Milan-Fluminese and Manchester City-Al Hilal are on Monday, and Real Madrid-Juventus and Borussia Dortmund-Monterrey on Tuesday. European teams won 16 of the 17 previous editions of an eight-team Club World Cup, the lone exception a 2012 victory by Brazil's Corinthians over Chelsea. Five of the 12 stadiums being used are sites for next year's World Cup, which will have 104 matches instead of 64 and many more games lacking prestigious teams and players. There were five weather delays in the Club World Cup group stage and temperatures at times rose well over 90 degrees (32 Celsius), a sign that climate change could impact next year's World Cup. However, four of the stadiums for next year's tournament have roofs and climate control.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Waugh confident Lions tours to Australia will endure the test of time
'Through [director of high performance] Peter Horne, Joe Schmidt and myself, we're absolutely aligned on the planning of this tour and ensuring that players have the right exposure to what's an incredible opportunity for them,' Waugh said. 'We know we need to compete, which is why we have Wallabies throughout all our (Super) teams and that's always been part of our plan. 'We've always been very disciplined around meeting agreements that we have with anyone and this situation is no different to any other agreement that we hold.' Meanwhile, RA has presented an offer to Taniela Tupou, but Waugh understands that the tighthead prop is attracting large offers from overseas. A key member of the Wallabies' squad preparing to face the Lions, Tupou has been heavily linked with a move to French giants Racing 92 when his contract with RA finishes at the end of this season. Racing has a history of attracting some of the biggest stars in the game, including South Africa's World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi. If Tupou moves to France, he will face a 26-game season in Top 14 as opposed to Super Rugby's 14 fixtures, not including the rest policy for Wallabies. 'He's a very important player in our system, we saw that through some Test matches last year,' Waugh said. 'I think what you're seeing is the right-hand side of the scrum is critical to laying the platform for the team to play and Taniela has done well in that regard. It's very important going into the Lions series. 'We're working through what post-Lions looks like for Taniela. Clearly, he's got a market internationally. We're working through those elements. Most importantly right now is performance against the Lions.' While Tupou is likely to depart Australia for France, Waugh and his team remain in discussions with two-time John Eales medallist Rob Valetini who has expressed his wish to do a sabbatical in France. 'We're pretty open-minded and pretty creative around how we can ensure that we get the best out of our players in our market,' Waugh said. 'We've seen that with Len Ikitau and what we've done to support Len, which essentially ensures that we keep Len in our system. Loading 'And Bobby V [Valetini], similarly, we have quite an open mind. Clearly we need to ensure that player welfare is front of mind and playing back-to-back seasons in one of the toughest positions in the game is not easy.' All nine matches of The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia are live & on demand on Stan Sport, with Wallabies Tests in 4K. All Test matches live and free on Channel 9 & 9Now.
