The World Cup's Group B matches begin today, with Canada facing Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the tournament remains overshadowed by a ticket price controversy that left thousands of seats empty during the opening games.
Empty Seats at Opening Matches
Mexico's Azteca Stadium featured large patches of empty seats during the debut matches, a humiliating sight for FIFA. The organization adopted variable pricing for the first time in World Cup history, driving up ticket prices by an average of 34 percent in October last year. The cheapest standard finals tickets cost $5,785 (£4,315), while some resale tickets reached nearly $33,000 (£24,621).
FIFA's Response
Earlier this month, FIFA quietly reduced prices across all 104 scheduled matches and released 70 percent of bulk-reserved hotel rooms. However, as of the eve of the tournament, around 180,000 tickets were still listed on official FIFA resale platforms, and 15,000 group-stage tickets were available directly through its site.
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canada, co-hosts of the World Cup, will kick off Group B at Toronto Stadium today at 3pm local time (8pm BST). The team faces pressure despite an eight-match unbeaten run, having lost all six of its previous World Cup matches. Both teams seek victory before facing Switzerland and Qatar in tough upcoming matches.
