The FIFA World Cup 2026 finally kicked off after years of anticipation, but tournament organisers may not have liked what they saw. On the opening day, conspicuous patches of empty seats appeared in stadiums, exposing the consequences of FIFA's controversial ticketing strategy to a global television audience.
Empty Seats Visible in Second Match
Earlier in the day, FOX had breached a FIFA regulation during the tournament's opening fixture. However, it was the second match of the tournament, South Korea versus Czechia at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, which provided the starkest early evidence of the problem. Vacant sections were clearly visible throughout the encounter, particularly in the VIP areas and sections opposite the main camera.
Variable Pricing Blamed
The origins of the crisis rest squarely with FIFA's decision to implement variable pricing for the first time at a World Cup. Prices for 90 of the 104 matches rose 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), while the most expensive seats hit $10,990 (£8,198) before subsequently tripling once more. Final tickets on the resale market were at one point listed at close to $33,000 (£24,616).
Last-Ditch Efforts Fail
FIFA had spent months and millions trying to prevent this image. As recently as early June, the governing body quietly slashed prices across all 104 fixtures and released 70 per cent of its bulk-reserved hotel rooms in what appeared to be a last-ditch effort to fill seats. It wasn't enough. On the eve of the tournament, approximately 180,000 tickets remained listed across FIFA's official resale platforms, with around 15,000 group-stage tickets still available to purchase directly through FIFA's website.
High Prices for Key Matches
For the United States' opening fixture against Paraguay on 12 June, one of the tournament's most hotly anticipated encounters, more than 4,400 seats remained available through official channels. The cheapest tickets still fetched $1,120 (£835) directly from FIFA, with the median resale price hovering above $800 (£597) even after a 20 per cent reduction in prices over the previous month.
Investigations and Defenses
When the United States, Canada and Mexico submitted their original hosting bid, a seat at the final was promised at a maximum of $1,550 (£1,156). The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey launched a formal investigation into the pricing practices, issuing subpoenas to FIFA. Congressional figures demanded that Gianni Infantino appear before Congress. A day before the tournament commenced, Infantino defended the pricing by arguing cheaper tickets would have been resold on the black market. The vacant seats on day one represent the most damaging response yet to that assertion.
FIFA claimed in January that its ticketing website had attracted more than 500 million booking requests. Yet judging by Thursday's opening fixtures, demand at the prices FIFA had established was notably lower.
