Gianni Infantino sat in the stands at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara as television cameras captured row upon row of empty seats during South Korea’s 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic – a humiliating image for the Fifa president just days into the expanded 48-team World Cup.
The world governing body declared an attendance of 44,985 at the 46,000-seat stadium, a figure that many fans and critics found impossible to square with the swathes of vacant seats visible throughout the match. Fifa insisted the numbers were accurate, arguing that supporters had simply abandoned their assigned places for the concourses.
“Fifa faces empty-seat embarrassment at World Cup as fans blame sky-high ticket prices”
“Official attendance figures reflect the number of tickets scanned and spectators present within the stadium footprint, rather than visual assessments of seating occupancy at any given moment during the match,” a spokesperson said. “Several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats.”
The explanation did little to mollify angry supporters. Garford Beck, a 64-year-old England fan from London who is following the team in the United States, said the empty seats did not surprise him. “I think there will be more to come and Fifa is getting what it deserves,” he told the Mirror while travelling with fellow fans in Orlando. “For Democratic Republic of Congo fans, the cost of one World Cup ticket is the equivalent of their average wage for about 16 years. The prices are ridiculous, so I think there will be more empty seats in games involving smaller nations.”
Football Supporters Europe warned that ticket prices had jumped fivefold compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, pricing out local and travelling fans. Online resale platforms were flooded with listings as supporters tried to offload tickets amid soaring travel and accommodation costs. With a reported 180,000 tickets still on the market, Fifa’s own resale site and secondary marketplaces offered tickets for matches involving smaller nations well below face value.
The controversy over pricing came against a backdrop of violence at the opening match in Mexico City. Hooded protesters hurled petrol bombs at riot police shortly after Mexico’s 2-0 victory over South Africa, with Molotov cocktails exploding outside the iconic Estadio Azteca.
Fifa faces further scrutiny as the tournament moves to other venues. The sight of empty seats at a World Cup, especially on the second day, has left many questioning whether the expanded format and high prices will ultimately undermine the sport’s showcase event.