FIFA has been forced to defend its attendance figures after swathes of empty seats were visible during South Korea’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, claiming fans had chosen to watch from the concourses rather than the seats they had paid for.
The world governing body announced an attendance of 44,985 at the 46,000-capacity Estadio Akron – just 678 short of a full house – but television viewers and social media users pointed to large sections of vacant seating. The discrepancy came amid pre-tournament criticism of ticket pricing and questions over demand for matches in the expanded 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States.
“FIFA claims fans chose concourses over seats amid empty stadia and £4,300 ticket prices at the 2026 World Cup.”
“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,” FIFA said in a statement. “FIFA works closely with stadium authorities and ticketing teams to ensure all published figures are based on verified operational data. Please note that, during last night’s match in Guadalajara, several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats throughout the match.”
The organisers also issued a picture showing a mostly full stadium in an attempt to counter the criticism. However, the problem has been a recurring theme since the tournament began. Swathes of empty seats appeared after half-time in Friday’s game between Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina, though they steadily began to fill up. More than 80,000 fans attended the Azteca stadium for the opening game between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, but the sight of empty seats in other fixtures has fuelled a growing row over affordability.
For the first time in World Cup history, FIFA adopted variable pricing for tickets. The move drove up the cost of the cheapest standard finals tickets to $5,785 (£4,315), with some tickets appearing on resale pages for close to $33,000 (£24,621). An average price increase of 34 per cent in October last year has left legions of fans priced out, according to critics. Thousands of tickets remain available below face value on FIFA’s own resale site and secondary marketplaces. Travel and hotel prices have also escalated, adding to the financial burden.
The Czech Republic, who qualified late in March, face a demanding travel schedule that sees them visit Atlanta before returning to Mexico City for their final group game. While there was a sizeable South Korean contingent in Guadalajara, there appeared to be only a limited Czech presence. As the tournament enters its second week, the controversy over empty seats – and FIFA’s explanation – shows no sign of abating.