One day before the start world championships FIFA president Gianni Infantino spoke of unprecedented fan interest. The organizers boasted that more than six million tickets had been sold and that the demand was said to be ten times higher than the supply.
But already on the second day of the tournament came an unpleasant confrontation with reality. During the match between South Korea and the Czech Republic, television cameras repeatedly captured large empty sectors. A day later, a similar image appeared at the first performance of Canada’s home team. Instead of celebrating football, the debate started in full swing about whether FIFA had overshot ticket prices.
Canada’s opening match at the 2026 World Cup left hundreds of seats empty, again raising questions about FIFA’s ticket pricing policy.
Empty seats at the Canada match as well
The championship co-hosts played their first game against Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field in Toronto with a capacity crowd of 44,315, but the encounter was not sold out. Tickets were still available a few hours before kickoff, with prices ranging from $1,645 to $2,240.
Last month, even US President Donald Trump declared that he would not pay such four-figure sums for tickets to the first match of the USA against Paraguay.
During the TV broadcast, it was possible to see several empty sectors in the stands opposite the main camera. In the case of Toronto’s BMO Field, the lower attendance was not as noticeable, as the red seats blended in with the red jerseys of the Canadian fans. Nevertheless, it was clear in the more detailed shots that the stadium was not filled.
The situation followed Thursday’s duel between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, which became the first major test of FIFA’s pricing policy.
The second game of the tournament revealed a problem
Mexico’s home opener was hopelessly sold out, as expected. However, the second meeting between South Korea and the Czech Republic was not among the duels that would be an irresistible attraction for an ordinary fan. In addition, it was played in one of the less important host cities of the championship.
Guadalajara Stadium has an official capacity of 45,664 spectators during the World Cup and is the second smallest venue of the tournament. According to FIFA data, 44,985 fans watched the match directly from the stands. This would mean an occupancy rate of 98.5 percent and only 679 vacancies.
However, the reality on TV screens looked different.
Humiliated FIFA
“FIFA suffered the humiliation of the second World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic being played in front of scores of empty seats – despite Gianni Infantino boasting of ‘unprecedented’ interest in tickets just 24 hours earlier,” wrote England’s Daily Mail.
The Athletic portal also drew attention to the bold statements of the head of world football.
“To date, we have sold more than six million tickets. The interest is unprecedented, at least tenfold,” Infantino declared on Wednesday before the start of the tournament.
However, already in the second match, the television images showed a different picture. Thousands of free seats could be seen in the stands, especially in the VIP sectors near the pitch. The red seats shone through in other parts of the stadium as well.
