FIFA Defends World Cup Attendance Figures After Empty Seats Seen at South Korea vs Czech Republic

FIFA faced renewed scrutiny after swathes of empty seats were visible during South Korea’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, with FIFA listing the attendance as 44,985 at the 46,000-seat Estadio Akron.

“Hwang In-beom scored a goal and set up another as South Korea rallied to defeat Czechia 2-1 in the second match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Thursday night in Zapopan, Mexico”

Al Jazeera

The debate centered on whether the official figure matched what viewers saw on television, as the BBC reported FIFA said the gaps were due to fans remaining on concourses rather than in their assigned seats.

Al Jazeera

FIFA’s explanation, as quoted by the BBC, said: "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."

FIFA added that: "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."

The empty-seat controversy quickly fed into criticism of FIFA’s ticket pricing and demand, with the Straits Times linking the optics in Guadalajara to concerns over pricing and demand for the expanded 48-team World Cup.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the pricing strategy, telling the Straits Times that ticket prices were "on a par with other major sporting events."

BBC

The Straits Times also reported that groups such as Football Supporters Europe warned that "extortionate" pricing would exclude ordinary fans, and it cited the claim that ticket prices for this tournament have jumped five-fold compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

In parallel, the BBC said tickets for the tournament have been subject to fluctuating prices and availability, with thousands remaining available for sale across several platforms and BBC Sport finding tickets for matches involving smaller nations available well below face value.

FIFA’s attendance defense came as the World Cup moved into its next group-stage fixtures, with Al Jazeera reporting that on June 18 Mexico face South Korea in Zapopan and Czechia play South Africa in Atlanta.

“Attendance at the second match of the 2026 World Cup was poor”

BroBible

The match also fed broader questions about how attendance is measured, with the BBC repeating FIFA’s position that its figures are based on tickets scanned and spectators within the stadium footprint rather than visual occupancy.

NBC News reported that FIFA has sold more than 6 million tickets for the tournament and that Infantino said demand had exceeded expectations by "a factor of 10 or more," even as supporter groups challenged FIFA’s stance.

With the tournament concluding July 19 with the final in New Jersey, the dispute over empty seats and ticket pricing is set to remain part of the conversation as FIFA continues to publish attendance figures for matches across Mexico, Canada and the United States.