Key facts
- FIFA stated that empty seats at the South Korea vs. Czech Republic World Cup match were due to fans watching from concourses.
- The Guadalajara stadium had visible empty spots despite an announced attendance of 44,985.
- FIFA defended its official attendance figures, which are based on scanned tickets.
- Record-high ticket prices have been a point of criticism for the current World Cup.
- Some empty seats were also observed at the Canada vs. USA match in Toronto.
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.