FIFA has announced that 44,985 tickets were scanned and spectators were present within the footprint of Estadio Akron during the Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic. The figure stands on a near‑sell‑out of the 46,000‑seat venue but has been questioned after images of sizeable empty seats appeared on television.
In a statement, FIFA explained that "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." The governing body reiterated that figures are verified through collaboration with stadium authorities and ticketing teams.
The discrepancy comes amid earlier criticism of ticket pricing and concerns over demand for matches in the expanded 48‑team tournament hosted across Mexico, Canada, and the United States. A Reuters photo showed the East Stand of Estadio Akron with many unfilled rows, fueling accusations that fans were largely on concourses rather than seated.
Additional footage from other games indicated that empty seats appeared after halftime in Canada vs Bosnia-Herzegovina, while other fixtures such as Mexico vs South Africa recorded more than 80,000 attendees. The Czech Republic, which qualified in March, reportedly drew limited support compared to larger contingents such as the South Korean team.
According to BBC Sport, cheaper tickets are now available for some matches on FIFA’s resale platform and secondary marketplaces, though travel and accommodation costs have also risen, leading to doubts that fans can afford to attend the competition.
