In the midst of this year‘s Copa America， running concurrently with its European counterpart， the spotlight falls not just on the prowess of the players， but on the stark contrasts in attendance and commercial allure between these two prestigious tournaments. Hopes were high for the Copa America to capitalize on the Latino fanbase in the United States and the superstar allure of Lionel Messi， aiming to narrow the growing gap in global popularity and commercial value vis-à-vis the UEFA European Championship. However， as both tournaments near their climax， the Copa America has fallen short of expectations in both attendance and global influence.
With just two matches left in the tournament， the total viewership stands at 1.482 million， comparable to the 1.484 million from the Centennial Copa America held in the United States eight years ago， but record-breaking figures seem elusive. Argentina‘s matches， buoyed by Messi‘s superstar appeal， have consistently sold out， with attendance exceeding stadium capacities； a phenomenon witnessed even in their group stage match against Peru， where 64，972 fans filled a stadium with a standard capacity of 64，747. Similarly， high-popularity teams like Brazil， Mexico （home to large immigrant populations in the U.S.）， and Colombia have boasted attendance rates consistently above 90%.
However， the picture dims for other teams. Matches involving teams like Peru and Chile in the group stages saw disappointingly low attendance， barely crossing the 50% mark of stadium capacity. In Group B， matches involving Ecuador， Venezuela， and Jamaica struggled with attendance rates hovering around 40%. Even the host nation， the United States， failed to attract sizable crowds， with their opening match against Bolivia drawing less than 60%， and their highest attendance in three group stage matches peaking at just 83%. Colombia， despite a strong fan base， only drew 27，400 spectators （43% capacity） for their match against Costa Rica.
As the tournament progresses to the knockout stages， the allure of competitive football fails to guarantee packed stadiums. Surprisingly， even Argentina‘s presence in the Copa America final didn‘t ensure full attendance， with each of their knockout matches witnessing over 2，500 empty seats. Venezuela‘s quarter-final against Canada at the 80，000-seater Arlington Stadium saw a mere 64% attendance.
Out of the 30 matches played so far， 11 have recorded attendance rates below 75%， with seven of those hovering around 50%. This disparity underscores a ”Matthew effect” in Copa America attendance： popular teams draw big crowds， while others struggle to fill stadiums.
In stark contrast， the UEFA European Championship， despite lower overall stadium capacities， has seen almost all of its 50 matches played to near-full houses， with attendance rates exceeding 99% in most cases. Even matches involving smaller nations like Albania， Georgia， and Slovenia garnered over 90% attendance， highlighting the robustness of European football‘s fan base and commercial infrastructure. The average attendance per match （52，300） has outstripped that of the Copa America （49，400）， showcasing Europe‘s mature football market.
The significant disparity in attendance rates between the Copa America and the European Championship can partly be attributed to factors like scorching weather， high ticket prices， and perhaps differing fan cultures and priorities in the Americas compared to Europe. While ticket prices for the European Championship are also steep， they seem more justifiable given the consistently high demand and packed stadiums.
Looking ahead， despite efforts to leverage the U.S. market‘s potential， including MLS Commissioner Garber‘s optimism and the sale of over a million tickets by CONMEBOL， the Copa America‘s ”popularity” this year largely hinges on Messi‘s star power. Yet， once Messi retires， the tournament‘s appeal in the U.S. could shrink significantly. Thus， while hosting the Copa America in the U.S. may delay the inevitable divergence between South American and European football， the trend appears irreversible.
In conclusion， while the Copa America seeks salvation in the American market， this edition‘s attendance challenges and commercial shortcomings underline broader issues facing South American football. As global football dynamics evolve， the Copa America‘s ability to compete with the UEFA European Championship remains a critical topic for discussion and reflection.
#CopaAmerica #EuropeanChampionship #FootballAttendance
