FIFA has responded after television viewers spotted large sections of empty seats during South Korea’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. The images quickly sparked criticism online, with many fans questioning the tournament’s attendance figures and ticket pricing.
FIFA Explains South Korea vs Czech Republic Empty Seats
FIFA announced an official crowd of 44,985, just below the stadium’s capacity, but the pictures shown during the match appeared to tell a different story. As questions continued to grow, FIFA released a statement defending its numbers. The governing body said attendance is based on tickets scanned and people inside the stadium, not on how many fans are sitting in their assigned seats at any one moment. FIFA also suggested that some supporters chose to spend parts of the match in the concourse areas instead of remaining in their seats.
The controversy began after cameras showed noticeable gaps around the stands during South Korea’s victory over the Czech Republic. Despite those scenes, FIFA stood by its attendance figure. The organization 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 works closely with stadium authorities and ticketing teams to ensure all published figures are based on verified operational data. Please note that, during the match in Guadalajara, several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats throughout the match.”
Gianni Infantino Defends Ticket Prices as Criticism Continues
Still, the discussion has moved beyond empty seats. Many supporters believe high ticket prices are making it harder for ordinary fans to attend matches. Fan group Football Supporters Europe has previously warned that prices for this tournament are much higher than those seen at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the pricing model before the tournament. He said ticket costs are similar to other major sporting events in North America and argued that lower prices could simply lead to tickets being resold at much higher rates. FIFA has also said that more than six million tickets have been sold across the tournament. However, with empty seats continuing to attract attention on television broadcasts, the debate over ticket prices and stadium attendance is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
