Chelsea’s 2025 Club World Cup campaign began with a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in Group D on Monday, but the match was marred by a disappointing turnout. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with a seating capacity of 71,000, had over 50,000 empty seats. Despite this, Chelsea delivered a solid performance, with goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez, giving the Blues a comfortable victory against one of the three MLS teams that qualified for the tournament.
The match saw new signing Liam Delap make his debut as a substitute, helping to set up Fernandez’s goal. Chelsea, coming off a UEFA Conference League win and a Champions League qualification, is aiming to reaffirm its position as a top-tier football club.
However, the attendance for the match was less than stellar. Just over 22,000 fans filled the stadium, despite the significant global attention that the tournament garners. The 3:00 p.m. local time kick-off, seemingly scheduled to accommodate British television audiences, likely deterred local fans from attending, particularly on a Monday afternoon. The first weekend of the tournament had seen decent attendance, but that momentum did not carry over.
LAFC, replacing the banned Mexican team Club Leon, found themselves playing their group matches away from California. Their small group of supporters, the LAFC ‘ultras,’ did what they could to bring atmosphere to the game, drumming and singing throughout the match. Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, now with LAFC, was kept busy in the first half, saving attempts from Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke.
Chelsea’s Pedro Neto was the star of the first goal, as he linked up with Jackson to beat Lloris with a powerful strike. Delap’s debut came after the hour mark, and his quick thinking led to Fernandez’s second goal, ensuring Chelsea’s dominant performance. The Argentine midfielder controlled Delap’s cross and finished past Lloris to seal the victory.
The game’s sparse attendance at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was a stark contrast to the usual energetic atmosphere at MLS side Atlanta United’s matches. It appears that the timing of the match, set in the heat of the Georgia summer, contributed to the poor turnout. Furthermore, despite dropping ticket prices in the days leading up to the match, the stadium remained largely empty, especially in the upper sections.
Despite these attendance issues, Chelsea’s performance gave the team the perfect start to their Club World Cup campaign. With a victory already in hand, they will aim to build on this momentum in their upcoming matches. Meanwhile, in Group D, Esperance Tunis was set to face Brazil’s Flamengo later on Monday.
In the wider context of the competition, Chelsea hopes to use this tournament as a springboard for reclaiming their place among Europe’s elite, especially after a strong season that saw them qualify for the Champions League and secure the UEFA Conference League title.