The stadium was almost empty: Enzo Maresca after Chelsea's 2-0 win over LAFC in FIFA Club World Cup 2025

Barely any fans attended the Blues’ opening game of the competition.

Chelsea’s coach, Enzo Maresca, called the mood of his team’s first FIFA Club World Cup 2025 game “strange” after the Blues won in front of almost 50,000 empty seats on Monday.

Although the stadium was fewer than one-third full, the Blues defeated Los Angeles FC 2-0 in their group stage match on Monday. The multipurpose facility, which can hold 71,000 people, had just more than 22,000 spectators for the 3 p.m. kickoff.

“It was a good match, a good performance,” Maresca told reporters after the match. “I think the environment was a bit strange. The stadium was almost empty. Not full.”

The Italian, who led Leicester City to Premier League promotion before joining Chelsea this summer, admitted that it was challenging to play in such a quiet environment, particularly as Atlanta is more than 2,000 miles (3,220 km) away from LAFC’s Los Angeles headquarters.

Enzo Maresca on upcoming match against Flamengo

“We prepared for this game also thinking that the environment was a bit different,” Maresca said. “But no doubt that the next one will be a nice one because we know that the Brazilian team always brings many, many fans. So we will try to be ready for the next one.”

In stark contrast to the rest of the tournament, Chelsea’s opening match drew a lacklustre crowd. While a huge audience of 80,000 people flocked to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday to watch UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain play Atletico Madrid, more than 60,000 people attended Saturday’s inaugural match between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Al Ahly.

Later, in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, Boca Juniors supporters generated an intense atmosphere for their game versus Benfica.

Chelsea played with composure against the MLS team in spite of the calm surroundings. Liam Delap, who had just signed for a six-year contract worth about 30 million from Ipswich Town, made an early impression by helping Enzo Fernndez increase the lead following Pedro Neto’s first goal.

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