Fifa World Cup match sees thousands of empty seats after ticket price controversy

The World Cup 2026 saw thousands of empty seats in just the second match to further raise the controversy surrounding Fifa‘s ticket prices for the spectacle.

South Korea defeated Czech Republic 2-1 in a gripping Group A contest in Guadalajara.

But amid controversy surrounding the ticket prices at the World Cup, with Fifa president Gianni Infantino defending the dynamic pricing policy at his press conference on the eve of the tournament, thousands of empty red seats could be seen throughout during the contest at the Estadio Akron.

Fifa opted to cut prices for some of its 104 matches in recent weeks, but a reported 180,000 tickets remained listed across Fifa’s official resale portals ahead of the tournament. The pricing policy has seen the cheapest standard ticket to the final reach at reported $5,785, with some tickets reaching five figures.

The issue has clouded the build-up to the tournament, with Fifa even claiming to have received over 500 million booking requests.

Infantino’s defence surrounding the ticket prices centered on his belief that the Fifa World Cup was a bigger event than the NBA Finals, which has seen exorbitant prices for the Knicks v Spurs series.

Politicians in New York and New Jersey have launched a formal investigation after allegations fans were left confused by Fifa over the inflated prices of tickets. Complaints focus on a lack of clarity over waiting times in online queues and the eventual prices should fans succeed.

Despite the match failing to reach a full capacity, the atmosphere remained lively with South Korea and Czech Republic fans heard throughout the contest. Ladislav Krejci had put Czech Republic in front before Hwang In Beom‘s equaliser, and Oh Hyeon Gyu‘s winner.

Fifa has been contacted for comment