Empty seats at World Cup match reignite concerns about ticket prices

FIFA said 44,985 people attended Thursday's World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, but rows of empty seats around the stadium reignited concerns about ticket prices and demand for the expanded tournament.
While more than 80,000 people crammed into the Azteca stadium to watch the opening match between co-hosts Mexico and In South Africa, the image of empty rows at the 46,000-seat stadium in Guadalajara, a city with a deeply rooted football culture, has intensified criticism of FIFA's commercial strategy for the first 48-team World Cup.
Some fans at the stadium attributed the empty seats to high ticket prices and criticized FIFA for its pricing model.
Reuters has contacted FIFA for comment.
The president FIFA leader Gianni Infantino on Wednesday defended FIFA's ticket prices following criticism from fans who argued that the cost of attending games had become prohibitive. He said ticket prices were in line with other major sporting events.
FIFA has already sold more than 6 million tickets for the tournament and had previously highlighted strong interest across America, with Infantino saying demand had exceeded expectations by "a factor of 10 or more".
However, groups such as Football Supporters Europe (FSE) warned that "exorbitant" prices would exclude ordinary fans. According to the FSE, ticket prices for this tournament have increased fivefold compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
South Korea beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in the Group A match.

Source: G1