CNN  — 

The US and China failed to qualify for the World Cup, but that hasn’t stopped fans based in either nation snapping up tickets for Russia 2018.

Statistics released by FIFA last week suggest that fans from China and the US are among the top 10 buyers of tickets for Russia 2018.

Only fans from the host nation have snapped up more tickets than fans based in America, while the FIFA data suggests nations such as England, which traditionally brings a large following with it, has seen a drop in traveling backers.

Fans with a familial or cultural attachment to other Latin American nations competing in Russia may account for some of the interest in the US.

But on the streets of Moscow, plenty of Chinese fans can be found rooting for reigning World Champions Germany.

One fan told CNN they were backing Die Mannschaft in absence of their own nation at the 32-team tournament. “We came from China for team Germany, he said.” “I really like the way Germany play.”

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Empty seats

Ticket sales have become a hot topic across the tournament’s opening games, with a number of fixtures appearing far from sold out.

When Uruguay played Egypt in Ekaterinburg on Friday, large swathes of seats appeared to remain empty for the duration of the game.

FIFA told CNN in a statement the empty seats were linked to “no-shows” from “all constituent groups” that had purchased tickets for the match.

It added that there had been a “97.2% attendance rate at games through the opening 11 fixtures” and that 2.4 million tickets had been sold prior to the tournament

Empty seats are seen in the stands during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group A match between Egypt and Uruguay at Ekaterinburg Arena.

Political considerations

The drop in ticket sales in some traditional soccer nations may also be about more than just football.

The UK embassy told CNN that just 2,500 England fans were expected for their team’s opening fixture against Tunisia in Volgograd Monday with 10,000 in total attending its three group stage matches.

The UK decided not to send an official delegation to the World Cup after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury earlier this year.

London blames Moscow for using a military grade nerve agent to target the Skripals – Russia vehemently denies the claims.

Fears of hooliganism have also been raised in the UK press after violent clashes between fans of the England and Russia at Euro 2016 in France.

England fans in Marseille at Euro 2016.

New global brands?

Security concerns aside, however, this World Cup appears to be seeing a more general shift in ticket sales with fans from traditional football nations often staying at home and those from countries whose teams aren’t in the tournament arriving in droves.

According to former US international defender Heath Pearce, it’s all part of the globalization of football and a testament to the universal popularity of the World Cup.

“It’s a new trend: Just like many football clubs have become global brands so have national teams,” said Pearce, who now works as a presenter for CNN partner Copa 90.

“A lot of folks from across the globe see these teams playing and want to root for them.

“So they come here to support a team even if it is not from the country they are from,” Pearce adds.