Empty Seats Trigger Ticket Price Backlash at World Cup

A FIFA-announced crowd of 44,985 attended the World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, but rows of empty seats across the stadium once again raised concerns over ticket prices and demand for the expanded tournament format.

While more than 80,000 fans filled the Azteca Stadium for the opening match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, the scene at the 46,000-capacity Guadalajara stadium stood in stark contrast. The sight of empty rows in a city known for its deep football culture has intensified criticism of FIFA’s commercial strategy for the first 48-team World Cup.

Some spectators inside the stadium blamed high ticket prices for the empty seats and strongly criticized FIFA’s pricing policy.

Responding to the backlash on ticket pricing on Wednesday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said ticket prices for the tournament are comparable to other major sporting events. He added that more than 6 million tickets have already been sold, claiming that demand across the Americas has exceeded expectations by ‘ten times or more.’

However, supporter groups, including Football Supporters Europe (FSE), had previously warned that excessive pricing would push ordinary fans out of stadiums. According to FSE, ticket prices for this edition of the tournament are up to five times higher than those of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

In Group A action, South Korea defeated the Czech Republic 2–1. Earlier, co-host Mexico beat South Africa 2–0 in the opening match.