Empty seats at FIFA World Cup 2026 South Korea‑Czech match highlight ticket‑price issue

During the second group‑stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, South Korea faced the Czech Republic at a stadium in Guadalajara with a capacity of 46,355. Television cameras captured numerous empty seats, especially in VIP sections and areas opposite the main broadcast camera.

The visible gaps have reignited criticism of FIFA’s new variable‑pricing ticket model, which raised average prices by about 34 % for 90 of the 104 matches between October 2025 and April 2026. Higher costs, combined with travel expenses to North America, left many fans from Europe and Asia unable to attend. FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the policy, arguing that lower prices could fuel large‑scale resale by intermediaries.

FIFA later lowered prices on some tickets and released a portion of previously reserved hotel inventory, but empty seats persisted, keeping the ticket‑pricing debate central to coverage of the tournament.