FIFA blames empty World Cup seats on fans who left them to watch from the concourses
Yahoo • • general
Key Points:
- FIFA defended the official attendance figure of 44,985 for Thursday's World Cup match in Guadalajara, stating that empty seats were due to fans standing in concourses rather than an inaccurate count.
- Images showing many empty VIP seats, some costing around $5,000, have raised concerns about FIFA's record ticket prices, with general admission tickets priced at about $500.
- Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup have increased fivefold compared to 2022, with the cheapest group-stage tickets starting at $140 and final match tickets reaching up to $32,970, prompting criticism and investigations by attorneys general in Texas, New York, and New Jersey.
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the pricing strategy as comparable to other major sports events and noted that more tickets will be released closer to matches, including those reserved for knockout round qualifiers.
- Despite high prices, 29 games sold out before the tournament, but many tickets remain available on FIFA’s official resale platform and third-party sites, with some prices decreasing recently; the opening match in Mexico City saw a capacity crowd of 80,824.