The Club World Cup, a tournament that takes a back seat in the United States

A success that seems illusory. While fearing that the new format of the Club World Cup, expanded to 32 teams, would start as a flop, the International Football Federation (FIFA) rushed to publish a triumphant press release on Sunday, June 15, to congratulate itself on the "resounding success" of the inaugural match. The day before, the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, was almost sold out for the soccer match – the name for football in the United States – between Lionel Messi 's Inter Miami and the Egyptian team Al-Ahly, with 60,927 spectators in a stadium that can accommodate 65,000. The same was true at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, near Los Angeles (California), where 80,619 people (for a total capacity of 89,000) attended the duel between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), European champion , and Atlético de Madrid.

Enough to give the impression that the tournament, held until July 13 at twelve venues across the United States, has found its audience. Other, less exposed matches were nevertheless far from attracting crowds. The stands at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, near New York, were more than sparse for the clash between Palmeiras and Porto (46,275 people for 82,500 seats). The same at Lumen Field in Seattle (Washington State) for the match between the local team Sounders and Botafogo (30,151 people for 68,000 seats). As for the Mercedes-Benz in Atlanta (Georgia), it sounded downright hollow on June 16, for the reunion of Olivier Giroud of Los Angeles FC with his former club Chelsea: 21,152 spectators in a 71,000-seat stadium.

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