Key facts
- FIFA stated that empty seats at the South Korea vs. Czech Republic World Cup match were due to fans watching from concourses.
FIFA attributed empty seats at a World Cup match in Guadalajara to fans watching from concourses, rather than their assigned seats. This explanation follows criticism over high ticket prices and observed low attendance.
The explanation for empty seats addresses concerns about the commercial viability and fan accessibility of the World Cup, potentially impacting future event planning and ticket sales strategies.
FIFA attributed numerous empty seats at the World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara to fans congregating in concourses. The governing body stated that official attendance figures are based on scanned tickets, not visual assessments of seating occupancy.
Visible empty spots were noted at the 45,664-capacity Guadalajara Stadium, despite an announced attendance of 44,985. This situation has renewed concerns over FIFA's ticket pricing strategy for the expanded tournament, with prices criticized as prohibitively high.
In Toronto, the smallest venue of the tournament with a capacity of 43,036, also saw some empty seats for the Canada vs. USA match, with an announced attendance of 43,002. This occurred amidst other major sporting events in the city.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously defended the ticket prices as fitting for the North American market, but they have faced criticism for reaching five figures.