FIFA attendance controversy follows South Korea's 2-1 win over Czech Republic

South Korea defeated the Czech Republic 2‑1 in their Group A World Cup match at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. In‑beom Hwang equalised in the 67th minute and Hyun‑gyu Oh scored the winner in the 80th, while Ladislav Krejci opened the scoring for the Czechs at 59 minutes.

After the match, FIFA released official attendance figures showing 44,985 spectators, close to the stadium’s 49,000‑seat capacity. Broadcast footage, however, displayed numerous empty seats, prompting accusations that the numbers were inflated. FIFA explained that its data are based on the count of scanned tickets and spectators who entered the venue, stating that many ticket‑holders remained in the stands rather than seated throughout the game.

The federation’s statement, cited by the BBC, read: "Data are created from the number of scanned tickets and spectators present in the stadium, not a visual assessment of seat occupancy at any moment."

The incident has sparked debate over ticket pricing, fan interest in lower‑profile matches, and the accuracy of FIFA’s reporting methods.