Chelsea players try to sell Club World Cup tickets via their own Instagram accounts

They’re getting sick of seeing empty seats 

A combination of poor weather and general football fatigue has seen fans show complete disinterest in the tournament.

Chelsea’s opening match against LA FC was played out in front of more than 40,000 empty seats at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, while their quarter-final tie versus Benfica in Charlotte was delayed by two-hours due to heavy thunderstorms.

It’s been much of the same story back home, where European audiences have shown little interest in the maiden tournament, and average TV audiences for Club World Cup games have hovered around the level received by most FA Cup third-round ties. 

Now, as Chelsea prepare to take on Brazilian side Fluminense in the semi-finals, a number of first-team stars have taken to their personal Instagram accounts to share links to buy tickets for tonight’s game. 

Robert Sanchez, Nicolas Jackson, and Enzo Fernandez as well as Moises Caicedo have all posted links to semi-final tickets on their stories.

It is unclear whether the club requested the players help sell tickets, or if they’ve done it on their own initiative. 

Ticket prices have plummeted thanks to the dynamic pricing model put in place by FIFA. Originally listed at $473.90 (£348.60) the semi-final tickets are now available for just £35. 

Tonight’s match kicks off at 3pm (8pm BST) local time at the more than 80,000 capacity MetLife Stadium near New York. 

The Blues will face up against ex-players Thiago Silva and Jorginho.

Silva, now 40-years-old, has captained his side through successive upsets against Inter Milan and Al-Hilal to reach an unlikely semi-final.

Despite the fan disinterest, Chelsea have secured a reported £61 million for their involvement and progress through the tournament.