Thousands of empty seats at Czech Republic match, yet almost sold out reported. FIFA offers explanation

Official figures reported 44,985 spectators at the Czech Republic vs. South Korea match. Given the Akron Stadium's capacity of 45,664 in Guadalajara, Mexico, this would suggest only about 700 tickets remained unsold. However, the sight of numerous empty sections raised questions.

Almost a day after the game, FIFA addressed the situation. Their statement clarified that the reason for the empty seats at the Czech Republic-South Korea encounter was simple: fans opted to stand in areas out of view of television cameras.

“Official attendance figures reflect the number of scanned tickets and the number of spectators present within the stadium premises, not visual estimates of seat occupancy at any given moment during a match.

FIFA works closely with stadium operators and ticketing teams to ensure all published data is based on verified operational information,” FIFA stated, aiming to counter the narrative that there was a lack of public interest in the World Cup across the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

“It should be noted that during the match in Guadalajara, several fans with valid tickets were observed standing in the concourses throughout the game instead of remaining in their assigned seats,” FIFA explained.

Concerns had already been voiced before the tournament that some matches might suffer from low attendance due to the high cost of tickets, accommodation, and travel to the USA.