FIFA blames empty seats at World Cup match on fans in concourses
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- FIFA attributed the visible empty seats during the South Korea vs. Czech Republic World Cup match in Guadalajara to ticketed fans standing in concourses rather than occupying their assigned seats.
- The announced attendance for the Guadalajara match was 44,985 in a 45,664-capacity stadium, with official figures based on tickets scanned and verified operational data.
- Similar observations of some empty seats were made at Toronto’s stadium during Canada’s first World Cup match on home soil, where the announced attendance was 43,002 in a 43,036-capacity venue.
- FIFA has faced criticism for record-high ticket prices at the World Cup, using dynamic pricing that has driven some ticket costs into five figures, though President Gianni Infantino defended the pricing as appropriate for the North American market.
- Despite high prices, 29 of the 64 tournament games were sold out before the event started, with 75 games still having tickets available.