FIFA has defended the official attendance for the 2026 FIFA World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic after images showing sections of empty seats at Guadalajara Stadium sparked speculation over the tournament’s ticket demand.
The Group A encounter on Thursday produced an entertaining contest, with South Korea coming from behind to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1. Ladislav Krejci gave the Czechs the lead in the 59th minute before Hwang In-beom equalized in the 67th and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu completed the comeback with the winner in the 80th.
According to FIFA, the match was attended by 44,985 spectators at the 46,000-capacity Guadalajara Stadium. However, photographs circulating on social media appeared to show noticeable gaps in several sections of the stands, prompting accusations that the governing body had overstated the attendance.
In response, FIFA stressed that its official attendance figures are calculated using verified operational data rather than visual observations made during the match.
“The official attendance figure reflects the number of tickets scanned and spectators present inside the stadium perimeter,” FIFA said in a statement.
“It is not based on visual assessments of seat occupancy at any particular moment during the match.”
The debate has emerged amid broader criticism surrounding ticket prices for the expanded 48-team World Cup. On the eve of the tournament, FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the organization’s pricing policy after supporters argued that attending matches had become too expensive for many fans.
During that news conference, Infantino said FIFA had sold more than six million tickets for the tournament, describing demand as exceptionally strong.
FIFA also explained why television viewers and photographs may have shown empty areas inside Guadalajara Stadium despite the reported attendance.
“FIFA works closely with stadium authorities and ticketing teams to ensure that all published attendance figures are based on verified operational data,” the organization said.
“Please note that during last night’s match in Guadalajara, a number of ticket holders were observed standing in the concourse areas rather than remaining in their assigned seats throughout the match.”
To support its explanation, FIFA released a photograph showing Guadalajara Stadium nearly full before kickoff, arguing that many spectators had temporarily left their seats during the match.
The South Korea-Czech Republic fixture was played on the opening day of the tournament, following the opening match between co-host Mexico and South Africa at Azteca Stadium. That match attracted an official attendance of 80,824 as Mexico began its World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory through goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez.
