Empty seats on World Cup’s opening day renew ticket price concerns

The World Cup opened with jubilation in Mexico City as a packed stadium roared the hosts to victory.

The World Cup opened with jubilation in Mexico City as a packed stadium roared the hosts to victory. But the second game of the tournament saw empty seats visible throughout the stands for South Korea’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic.

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The scenes in Guadalajara on Thursday night follow weeks of questions around demand for the largest-ever World Cup, fueled by concerns over ticket prices and the marketing strategy of organizer FIFA.

While there was little surprise that more than 80,000 boisterous fans saw Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the Azteca Stadium, the game in Guadalajara hours later involved two teams ranked below the top 25.