After the opening game in Mexico, FIFA defended its attendance figures for South Korea’s win over the Czech Republic, the second match of the 2026 World Cup, explaining that some fans “stood in concourses rather than in their assigned seat.”
Thousands of seats went unused in the second match, prompting further questions about FIFA’s ticket pricing for the world event, which is hosted across three countries for the first time.
The empty seats follow complaints from fans about what they say are excessively high ticket prices months before the tournament, as well as the costs of accommodation and flights for travel between or within the three host nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The issue has overshadowed the lead-up to the tournament, with Fifa even claiming to have received over 500 million booking requests.
Friday, FIFA released a statement about the match in Guadalajara: “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.”
Last month, the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey issued a subpoena to FIFA over its ticketing practices, citing media reports that fans may have been misled about the locations of the seats they purchased, and FIFA’s public statements and ticket releases may have contributed to soaring prices.
Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices, stating they are comparable to those of other major sporting events.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
