Empty seats mar 2026 World Cup opening day despite South Korea comeback

South Korea Rallies Past Czech Republic 2-1 as Empty Seats Mar World Cup Opening Day

South Korea came from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in the second match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday evening at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, but the result was overshadowed by visibly empty sections throughout the stadium, renewing scrutiny of FIFA’s pricing strategy for the tournament.

Hwang In-beom Inspires Comeback

Ladislav Krejci opened the scoring for the Czech Republic in the 59th minute, but South Korea responded swiftly. Hwang In-beom equalized in the 67th minute before setting up substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu for the winner in the 80th minute. It marked South Korea’s first opening-match victory at a World Cup since 2010. The result left South Korea level on points with co-hosts Mexico, who defeated South Africa 2-0 in the tournament’s opener at Estadio Azteca earlier on Thursday.aljazeera

Empty Seats Tell a Different Story

Despite an announced attendance of 44,985 in a stadium with a capacity of roughly 46,000 to 48,000, large swathes of unoccupied seats were plainly visible, particularly in VIP zones and sections opposite the primary camera. According to the Independent, approximately 180,000 tickets remained available on FIFA’s resale platforms ahead of the tournament. Around 15,000 group-stage tickets were still accessible via FIFA’s own website the day before kickoff.mirror

A Pricing Backlash Years in the Making

The empty seats are the latest symptom of a controversy that has dogged FIFA for months. The organization introduced dynamic pricing for the first time at a World Cup, with ticket costs far exceeding previous tournaments. According to ESPN, group-stage face values ranged from $60 to hundreds of dollars, while final tickets reached as high as $10,990 on FIFA’s direct platform. On the resale marketplace, where FIFA takes a 15 percent cut from both buyer and seller, listings for the final soared past $2 million.si

FIFA responded to the backlash in late 2025 by introducing a “Supporter Entry Tier” offering $60 tickets for all 104 matches. But the measure appears to have done little to fill stadiums on opening day. The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey have also launched an investigation into FIFA’s ticketing practices, examining whether its sales methods led to what they called “exorbitant prices”.npr

FIFA president Gianni Infantino dismissed the pricing criticism at the Milken Institute Global Conference in May. “If some people put on the resale market some tickets for the final at $2 million, number one, it doesn’t mean that the tickets cost $2 million,” he said. “And number two, it doesn’t mean that somebody will buy these tickets”.si