The summer of soccer in the U.S. is underway with the FIFA Club World Cup and the Concacaf Gold Cup, serving as preliminary events ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Despite the inclusion of prestigious teams like Manchester City and Real Madrid, attendance has been disappointing in venues ranging from 25,000 to 80,000 seats. This suggests that fan interest might be waning with excessive matches, even as organizers collect valuable data for next year's World Cup preparation.
While a match between reigning UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain and LaLiga's Atlético Madrid drew 80,619 fans to Pasadena's Rose Bowl, an evening encounter involving South Korean side Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa drew only 9,742. This stark contrast highlights how the allure of marquee matches may not be enough to sustain interest across the board.
Despite the excitement surrounding the Club World Cup and the Gold Cup, empty seats in stadiums indicate that U.S. fans may be reaching their limit on match consumption.
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