Furious England fans have condemned FIFA after rows of empty seats were visible at the second game of the World Cup, with many blaming exorbitant ticket prices. FIFA President Gianni Infantino was present for South Korea's 2-1 victory over Czechia at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, as television cameras captured rows upon rows of vacant seats, images broadcast to football fans worldwide.
Attendance Figures Questioned
Adding to the embarrassment, the official attendance was announced as 44,985, just 679 short of the 45,664 capacity, despite numerous empty seats throughout the stadium, not only in the most expensive sections. Critics argue that FIFA's 'varying pricing' ticket policy artificially inflated prices and misled fans.
England supporter Garford Beck, 64, from London, who is following the team in the United States, said the empty seats did not surprise him. "I think there will be more to come, and FIFA is getting what it deserves," he told the Mirror while traveling with fellow fans in Orlando. "For Democratic Republic of Congo fans, the cost of one World Cup ticket is equivalent to their average wage for about 16 years. The prices are ridiculous, so I think there will be more empty seats in games involving smaller nations. We watched the match here, and the empty seats were really noticeable, so that is being seen around the world."
Social Media Outcry
Fuming fans also took to social media to express their anger. One wrote: "The number of empty seats is simply insane. Very poor from FIFA." Another added: "Literally on day one of the World Cup, there are lots of empty seats. The resale shenanigans didn't turn out so good, eh? That's what happens when you drive prices up to the point of insanity." A third worried fan posted: "First time in my life I'm seeing this many empty seats at a World Cup game. Is this going to be the worst World Cup ever?"
Ticket Prices Soar
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) warned that ticket prices had jumped fivefold compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It stated that local fans and traveling international supporters had been completely priced out of attending. Online resale platforms were full of listings as fans tried to offload tickets in the face of skyrocketing travel and accommodation costs.
Violence Mars Opening Match
The row over ticket pricing came as violence marred the opening match. Hooded protesters hurled petrol bombs at riot police shortly after Mexico's 2-0 victory against South Africa. Molotov cocktails exploded outside the iconic Estadio Azteca, renamed Mexico Stadium for the tournament. Demonstrations before and after the game turned violent. One female officer needed emergency treatment for a badly cut head, and up to 1,000 protesters were involved.
Infantino Defends Pricing
Speaking before the game, Infantino defended FIFA's pricing structure as "accurate" for the North American market, insisting that demand had been "unprecedented by a factor of 10 or more." FIFA sold 6 million tickets for the tournament, and demand had exceeded expectations by "a factor of 10 or more," he said. "Our entry price, which is $60, is the lowest entry price of any of the American sports in the playoff phases," Infantino stated.
Football Supporters Europe filed a complaint with the European Commission in March, accusing FIFA of shutting ordinary fans out of the tournament by imposing "sky-high" prices that far exceed those at previous World Cup events. It also said that the $60 tickets FIFA advertised "barely existed" and were snatched up before general public sales opened.
Legal Scrutiny
Last month, the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey issued a subpoena to FIFA over its ticketing, citing media reports that fans may have been misled about seat locations and suggesting FIFA statements and ticket releases may have contributed to soaring prices. President Donald Trump also blasted high World Cup ticket prices in an interview with the New York Post last month.
Tens of thousands of tickets have been available on resale sites, leading to claims that FIFA may have released them in a desperate bid to fill the grounds. The biggest empty areas at the South Korea game were mostly in the 'VIP' sections closest to the pitch, where a general admission ticket was about $400 (£298). For the United States' opening fixture against Paraguay, one of the tournament's most eagerly awaited matches, more than 4,400 seats remained unsold through official channels.
Variable Pricing Model
The cheapest tickets would still cost $1,120 (£835) directly from FIFA, with the median resale price sitting above $800 (£597), even after a 20 per cent drop in prices over the previous month. Fans slammed FIFA's decision to adopt variable pricing, a model similar to 'dynamic pricing', for the first time at a World Cup. Prices for 90 of the 104 matches climbed by an average of 34 per cent between October 2025 and April 2026. The cheapest standard ticket to the final reached $5,785 (£4,315). The priciest seats hit $10,990 before later tripling once more. Final tickets on the resale market were at one stage listed at close to $33,000.
One fan wrote that FIFA had 'priced out all the regular match going fans' with 'extortionate ticket prices'. They added: "Accommodation price increases, domestic travel up almost 10-fold, plus general holiday expenses (food, drink, tourism) made it completely impossible for the working man to go." FIFA defended its policy as one widely used in the United States and stressed all profits went back into the game.
