Fifa defends World Cup attendance figures after thousands of empty seats spotted on first day
Protesters clash with riot police in Mexico during World Cup opener
Fifa has defended the attendance figures for the South Korea vs Czech Republic World Cup match, where thousands of empty seats were observed, by stating that some ticketed fans chose to stand in concourses rather than their assigned seats.
The match, which saw South Korea defeat Czech Republic 2-1 in a Group A contest in Guadalajara, was notable for the visible swathes of unoccupied seating, raising further questions about Fifa’s ticket pricing strategy.
Fifa’s official spokesperson clarified that attendance figures reflect scanned tickets and spectators within the stadium footprint, not just visual seating occupancy, and confirmed close collaboration with stadium authorities for verified data.
The controversy stems from FIFA’s dynamic pricing policy, which has led to some standard tickets for the final reportedly reaching $5,785, with a reported 180,000 tickets still listed on resale portals before the tournament began.
Politicians in New York and New Jersey have launched an investigation into Fifa’s ticketing practices following complaints about a lack of clarity regarding online queue waiting times and the eventual inflated prices for fans.
