World Cup shamed by thousands of empty seats in only second game of 2026 tournament

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThousands of empty seats were observed at the World Cup 2026 match between South Korea and Czech Republic in Guadalajara, despite it being only the second game of the tournament. The sparse attendance has reignited controversy surrounding FIFA's ticket pricing policy, which has seen some tickets for the final reportedly reach $5,785 and even five figures. FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the dynamic pricing, comparing the World Cup's significance to the NBA Finals, even though 180,000 tickets remained unsold ahead of the tournament. Politicians in New York and New Jersey have initiated a formal investigation into FIFA's handling of ticket sales, following complaints about a lack of clarity regarding online queues and inflated prices. Despite the sparse attendance, South Korea defeated Czech Republic 2-1 in a gripping Group A contest, with Oh Hyeon Gyu securing the winning goal after Hwang In Beom's equaliser. In fullFifa World Cup match sees thousands of empty seats after ticket price controversyThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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