Guadalajara, Mexico: Empty seats at the World Cup during South Korea’s match against the Czech Republic on Thursday raised fresh questions about FIFA’s ticket prices, despite an official attendance of 44,985.
FIFA reported the attendance at Guadalajara Stadium, which has a capacity of about 46,000. It did not confirm whether the figure reflected ticket sales or the number of fans who entered the stadium.
The Athletic reported that many VIP seats were empty near the pitch, with thousands of unoccupied seats visible across the stadium.
Hospitality tickets cost about $5,000, while lower-tier general admission seats cost $500.
The match took place as FIFA faces criticism over dynamic pricing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Football Supporters Europe said some ticket prices had increased fivefold from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the pricing strategy on Wednesday, saying World Cup costs were comparable to those of other major sporting events.
He said more tickets would become available closer to matches, including seats reserved for teams reaching the knockout rounds.
Read: World Cup Tickets Released As FIFA Faces Scrutiny
FIFA has said it sold more than six million tickets for the tournament. It also offered 130,000 $60 tickets to national federations for regular supporters, following criticism over affordability.
The Associated Press reported that 29 matches were sold out on the eve of the tournament, and 75 still had tickets available.
The Financial Times said almost 180,000 tickets remained on FIFA’s official resale platform on Tuesday.
