Empty Seats at Czech World Cup Match? FIFA Defends Nearly 100% Attendance Claim

FIFA reported that 44,985 spectators attended the match in Guadalajara, Mexico. The stadium's capacity is 45,664 seats, which the federation stated represented a 98.5 percent occupancy rate. However, television footage clearly showed numerous empty seats, as noted by DPA.

The federation explained that some fans were within the stadium premises during the match but not in their assigned seats. "Official attendance figures are based on the number of scanned tickets and spectators present within the stadium complex, not on a visual assessment of seat occupancy at a specific moment during the match," FIFA clarified in an official statement.

According to official data, 29 matches were already sold out before the start of the championship, while tickets for another 75 fixtures remained available. Criticism had previously focused on the high ticket prices for the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended them on Wednesday, stating that some World Cup tickets were cheaper than those for university sports events in the USA.