Thousands of empty seats at Thursday’s FIFA World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic have renewed questions about ticket pricing and fan demand, despite FIFA insisting the expanded 2026 tournament has generated record-breaking interest.
FIFA announced an official attendance of 44,985 for the Group A fixture at Guadalajara’s approximately 46,000-seat stadium. While the figure represented a near-capacity crowd on paper, large sections of unoccupied seats were visible throughout the match, drawing attention on television broadcasts and across social media.
The contrast was particularly striking after more than 80,000 spectators packed Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium for Wednesday’s tournament opener between co-host Mexico and South Africa.
The sight of empty seats in Guadalajara, a city widely regarded as one of Mexico’s traditional football strongholds, intensified criticism of FIFA’s commercial approach to the first 48-team World Cup.
Reuters said it had contacted FIFA for comment regarding the attendance and concerns surrounding ticket sales.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the governing body’s pricing policy on Wednesday after supporters argued that the cost of attending matches had become too expensive for many fans. Infantino maintained that ticket prices were comparable to those charged for other major international sporting events.
FIFA has reported selling more than 6 million tickets for the tournament and previously highlighted exceptionally strong demand from across North and South America. Infantino said interest had exceeded initial expectations “by a factor of 10 or more.”
Supporters’ organizations, however, have challenged that assessment. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has warned that what it described as “extortionate” ticket prices risk pricing ordinary supporters out of the tournament.
According to FSE, ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup have increased by roughly five times compared with the 2022 tournament in Qatar, fueling concerns that affordability has become a growing barrier for fans.
On the field, South Korea defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 to open its Group A campaign with three points. The result gave the Asian side an early advantage in the race to reach the knockout stage, although much of the post-match discussion centered on the attendance rather than the football itself.
The debate over ticket affordability is expected to continue as the month-long tournament progresses, particularly if additional matches at venues outside the host nations’ marquee stadiums fail to attract full crowds despite FIFA’s optimistic projections for the expanded competition.
