Empty seats haunt World Cup 2026 opener as ticket price controversy deepens

Thousands of empty seats greeted South Korea’s 2-1 victory over Czech Republic at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, the second match of the 2026 World Cup and the latest visible sign of the backlash against Fifa’s ticket pricing strategy.

Ladislav Krejci gave Czech Republic an early lead before Hwang In Beom equalised, and Oh Hyeon Gyu struck the winner to secure all three points for South Korea in Group A. Despite the unfilled stands, supporters from both nations generated a lively atmosphere throughout the contest.

The empty red seats arrived at a particularly uncomfortable moment for Fifa. President Gianni Infantino had defended the organisation’s dynamic pricing policy at a press conference on the eve of the tournament, arguing that the World Cup was a bigger event than the NBA Finals — a comparison drawn against the backdrop of soaring ticket prices for the ongoing Knicks v Spurs series.

Fifa cut prices across its 104 matches in recent weeks, yet a reported 180,000 tickets were still listed on the organisation’s official resale portals ahead of kick-off. The cheapest standard ticket to the final has been reported at $5,785, with some listings reaching five figures.

The issue has extended beyond the stands and into politics. Lawmakers in New York and New Jersey have launched a formal investigation following allegations that fans were misled by Fifa over inflated prices. Complaints centre on a lack of transparency around online queue waiting times and the prices fans ultimately faced after joining them.

Fifa has claimed to have received over 500 million booking requests for the tournament, a figure Infantino has cited in defence of the pricing model. Critics argue that high demand makes the lack of clarity in the purchasing process harder to justify, not easier.

With the tournament only in its opening days, the combination of visible empty seats and political scrutiny suggests the pricing controversy is unlikely to fade quickly.