FIFA defends World Cup attendance figures as empty seats visible at matches despite near-sellout claims

FIFA is defending its 2026 World Cup attendance figures after matches showed thousands of empty seats, despite near-sellout claims. For a South Korea vs. Czech Republic game, FIFA reported 44,985 attendees but blamed the visual gap on fans in concourses. The controversy highlights fan concerns over record-high ticket prices, U.S. travel bans affecting four nations, and visa denials, which have also led to below-forecast hotel bookings in U.S. host cities.

World Cup attendance shortfalls

• ▪The opening matches in the United States and Canada were not sold out on the official platform as of the Monday before the tournament began
• ▪Visible empty seats were observed during the 2026 World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara
• ▪The official attendance for the South Korea vs. Czech Republic match was 44,985, in a stadium with a World Cup capacity of 45,664
• ▪Thousands of empty seats were also visible at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for the match between Qatar and Switzerland on June 13, 2026
• ▪As of early June 2026, 176,000 unsold tickets for the tournament's group phase were still available on FIFA's resale portal

U.S. travel restrictions

• ▪The Iranian soccer federation claimed the U.S. had "taken steps to obstruct the presence of Iranian supporters at the stadiums."
• ▪Two days before the tournament, FIFA revoked Iran's ticket allocation, which entitled its federation to distribute 8% of tickets for its matches
• ▪Fans from at least four competing nations—Haiti, Iran, the Ivory Coast, and Senegal—are subject to a full U.S. travel ban for tourists
• ▪The United States is hosting 78 of the 104 total matches in the 2026 World Cup

Visa denials for fans

• ▪In May 2026, several Ghanaian fans planning to see their team play in Boston and Philadelphia were denied U.S. visas

Record-high ticket prices

• ▪Football Supporters Europe filed a complaint with the European Commission, accusing FIFA of shutting out ordinary fans with "sky-high" prices
• ▪FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the record-high ticket prices, comparing them to other major North American sporting events like the NBA Finals
• ▪FIFA's new "FIFA Collect" platform required some fans to purchase NFT-like "Right-to-Buy" tokens on the Avalanche network to get priority access to tickets
• ▪The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey issued a subpoena to FIFA regarding its ticketing practices and potentially misleading statements
• ▪FIFA has implemented a dynamic pricing model for the 2026 World Cup, which adjusts ticket costs based on real-time demand
• ▪While FIFA advertised some tickets for as low as $60, fan groups claim these "barely existed" and were unavailable in the general sale

Hotel bookings below forecasts

• ▪An April 2026 report found 80% of hotels in U.S. host cities had bookings below what was forecast for the World Cup
• ▪The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) report cited U.S. visa issues and the tense geopolitical climate as deterrents for travelers
• ▪The U.S. tourism industry experienced its largest drop in foreign visitors in 2025 since the 2008 recession

Fan boycott calls

• ▪After the U.S. expanded its travel ban in December 2025, Senegalese fan Singom Dadji Ngam publicly called for a boycott