FIFA backs official World Cup attendance figures despite rows of empty seats
· Yahoo Sports
FIFA moved quickly to clarify why thousands of seats appeared vacant during Thursday's World Cup game between South Korea and Czechia.
On the opening day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, noticeable patches of empty red seats were scattered throughout Estadio Akron in Guadalajara as South Korea mounted a thrilling comeback to beat Czechia, 2-1. Tickets in the lower bowl of the venue - the second-smallest stadium being utilized at this year's tournament - set fans back $500, while seats along the sidelines in the upper tier were priced at $400.
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Despite the game's attendance appearing underwhelming on television, FIFA declared the contest was nearly sold out, recording an official crowd of 44,985. For reference, Akron's maximum World Cup capacity stands at 45,664, as per The Mirror US.
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In an official statement, FIFA sought to address why the television broadcast appeared to show fewer fans than the verified attendance figures suggested.
"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," the global sanctioning body wrote.
"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."
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At this year's World Cup, FIFA has employed a dynamic pricing model that has sent costs soaring for certain matches, with ticket prices increasing fivefold compared to the 2022 tournament in Qatar, according to Football Supporters Europe (FSE).
Despite this, FIFA president Gianni Infantino maintained that demand for attending matches has never been greater, declaring at a press conference on Wednesday: "Until today, we have sold over six million tickets. The demand has been unprecedented, not by a little bit, but by a factor of 10 or more."
Responding to the criticism surrounding ticket costs, Infantino drew comparisons to the steep price of attending an NBA Finals game, which attracts lower television viewership than the average World Cup match.
"If we are doing something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong," he said.