FIFA has claimed that the large swathes of empty seats seen in the opening World Cup matches were because fans were instead stood in the concourses. Ticket prices at this year’s World Cup have been a subject of much controversy leading into the tournament.
Ticket Pricing Controversy
FIFA initially priced tickets starting at $140 for the 48-nation, 104-game tournament, although regular seats for the final in New Jersey began at a whopping $8,680. Dynamic pricing and resale markets have often seen prices inflated even further, with FIFA eventually addressing criticism and releasing a small number of $60 tickets to national federations for their regular supporters.
Empty Seats Despite High Demand Claims
FIFA had claimed that demand remained ‘unprecedented’ for the event, but fans were quick to question that theory when thousands of empty seats were seen during the tournament’s second game between South Korea and Czechia in Guadalajara. Despite that, announcers still claimed that the attendance was 44,985 at the 45,664-capacity Guadalajara Stadium.
FIFA's Explanation
In a statement on Friday, FIFA claimed that the empty seats seen on TV were because fans were standing in other places of the stadium and not sat in their ticketed seats. ‘Official attendance figures reflect the number of tickets scanned and spectators present within the stadium footprint, rather than visual assessments of seating occupancy at any given moment during the match,’ a statement began. ‘FIFA works closely with stadium authorities and ticketing teams to ensure all published figures are based on verified operational data. Please note that, during last night’s match in Guadalajara, several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats throughout the match.’
Further Incidents
On Friday, more empty seats were seen during co-host Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Infantino Defends Ticket Prices
Speaking on the eve of the tournament, FIFA president Gianni Infantino sought to defend the tournament’s ticket prices, claiming they were cheaper than those on resale markets and on par with other North American sporting events. ‘Until today we have sold over six million tickets,’ Infantino said. ‘The demand has been unprecedented, not by a little bit, but by a factor of 10 or more. The World Cup is a unique event that takes place every four years, and when you’re in one country you need to deal with local habits and local customs. Our entry price at $60 is the lowest of all the American sports in the playoff phases. Our average price of $500 is lower than the average price for American playoffs. You can at least compare the World Cup with the playoffs. When we put tickets on sale on the secondary market they are sold at a much higher price, which shows the original price was accurate. What’s most important in all of this is that every dollar we generate goes back into football. If we were selling our TV rights to pay-TV, like everyone else, we would generate four times as much revenue. And we could give all the tickets away, but they would still end up on the black market. As FIFA president we have to strike a balance. We invest in countries where no one else does – South Sudan, Bhutan. No one else is doing this.’
