World Cup 2026: FIFA Says Fans in Concourses Are Behind Empty Seats

Fifa has explained the visible empty seats during the near-sell-out Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, saying many ticketed fans were standing on concourses rather than sitting in their assigned seats.

The world governing body reported an official attendance of 44,985 in the 46,000-capacity stadium, but television images and photographs during the match appeared to show significant patches of empty seating. That led to criticism and accusations that the attendance figure may have overstated the number of people actually in the stands.

In a statement, Fifa said official attendance numbers are based on tickets scanned and the number of spectators present within the stadium footprint, not on a visual count of occupied seats at any one moment during the game. It added that it works with stadium authorities and ticketing teams to make sure published figures come from verified operational data.

Fifa also said that during the match in Guadalajara, several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses instead of remaining in their allocated seats for the full game. The organization and tournament organisers also released an image that showed the venue looking mostly full, in an effort to counter claims that the crowd was smaller than the published total suggested.

The attendance issue comes after earlier criticism over ticket prices and concern about demand for some matches in the expanded 48-team World Cup. Empty seats in stadiums have become a sensitive topic for organisers, especially when official figures appear to conflict with what viewers see on broadcast coverage.

The Guadalajara match was one of the more closely watched Group A fixtures, and the discrepancy between the reported attendance and the visible seating occupancy quickly drew attention online. While the official figure indicated the stadium was close to capacity, the images prompted questions about how attendance is calculated and whether those numbers accurately reflect the number of people actively watching from their seats.

Fifa’s explanation suggests that the difference may have been caused by spectators moving around the venue rather than leaving it. However, the incident has added to scrutiny of the tournament’s crowd management, ticketing practices and overall match demand.

The controversy is likely to keep attention on future attendance figures as the competition continues, particularly at venues where seating patterns, fan movement and ticket uptake may not align neatly with televised impressions of crowd size.