World Cup 2026: Fifa claims fans staying on concourses are reason for empty seats - BBC Sport

Fifa says numerous empty seats were visible in the near-sell-out Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic because of fans remaining on concourses.

Image source, ReutersImage caption, South Korea came from behind to beat Czech Republic 2-1

Fifa says numerous empty seats were visible in the near-sell-out Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic because of fans remaining on concourses.

Football's world governing body announced an attendance of 44,985 at the 46,000-seat Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, leading to accusations they exaggerated the number of people in the stadium.

The discrepancy followed pre-tournament criticism of ticket pricing and questions over demand for a number of matches in the expanded 48-team World Cup.

"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," Fifa said.