Even in the second World Cup match, some rows of seats are empty—fans are upset

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• During the World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic, a significant number of empty seats were clearly visible in the stadium in Guadalajara.
• On social media, fans primarily blamed FIFA’s high ticket prices and resale system.
• FIFA officially reported 44,985 spectators—just 679 fewer than the stadium’s tournament capacity.

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The 2026 World Cup has barely begun, and there’s already major controversy over the stands. During the tournament’s second match between South Korea and the Czech Republic, clearly visible gaps in the stands were evident at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara.

Empty seats in central areas of the opposite stand were particularly noticeable. Red seats remained empty in other sections as well. As a result, the stadium did not look like a sold-out World Cup arena in television footage or photos.

On the field, South Korea came from behind to win the match 2-1. But after the game, the talk wasn’t just about the comeback; it was mainly about the question: Why are so many seats empty at a World Cup on the very second day of the tournament?

Fans blame ticket prices

Numerous fans reacted angrily on social media. Many pointed to the ticket prices, which had already drawn criticism before the tournament began. According to “The Athletic,” seats in the lower tier cost around $500, while seats higher up along the sideline cost about $400.

The empty seats were apparently even more noticeable in the hospitality areas. According to the report, such packages could cost over $5,000. That’s exactly where a particularly large number of empty seats were visible.

Several fans therefore blamed FIFA’s pricing model. One user wrote, in essence, that it was no wonder seats remained empty after prices had been driven to absurd heights. Another spoke of “crazy” empty stands right from the start of the tournament.

Official figure hardly matches the images

The contradiction with the official attendance figure is striking. FIFA reported 44,985 fans for the match. The Estadio Akron has a tournament capacity of 45,664 seats. According to that, only 679 seats should have remained empty.

However, the images from the stadium conveyed a different impression. When asked by “The Athletic,” FIFA could not say whether the official figure referred to tickets sold or to spectators actually in attendance.

This is precisely why the match is now becoming an early litmus test for the World Cup’s ticketing strategy. As expected, Mexico’s opening match was sold out. South Korea vs. the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, on the other hand, showed just how difficult it can be to fill stadiums for matches without the host nation or top-tier teams.

According to “The Athletic,” Mexican fans and a noticeable number of South Korean supporters dominated the stadium. Czech fans, on the other hand, were hardly to be seen. The country had only qualified a few months earlier, making travel planning correspondingly difficult for the fans.