The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday, but controversy quickly overshadowed the action on the pitch. More than 80,000 fans packed Mexico City Stadium to watch the host nation defeat South Africa 2-0, but concerns were raised when South Korea’s match against Czechia in Guadalajara was played in front of visibly empty stands.

On paper, Guadalajara Stadium was close to full capacity. FIFA even announced during the match that the official attendance was nearly 45,000. But viewers watching the live broadcast quickly noticed large sections of empty red seats throughout the stadium.

The most noticeable gaps were in the lower sections near the pitch, which appeared almost completely empty.

As it turns out, those areas included the premium seats and luxury corporate boxes. Tickets for those sections started at $400 and went as high as a staggering $5,000, as reported by The Telegraph. Companies and wealthy buyers appeared to snap them up but never showed up, leaving many regular fans priced out and watching from home.

A Rough Look for FIFA

This is a terrible look for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was actually in attendance while those empty seats were visible on television. Just days ago, he told reporters that the tournament had received an astonishing 500 million ticket requests. He even joked that he would personally bring a hot dog and a soda to anyone who spent millions on a resale ticket.

Seeing large gaps in the stands on just the second day of the tournament makes those comments look questionable. FIFA has been using a system called “dynamic pricing,” which allows ticket prices to rise sharply based on demand. It pushed the highest-priced tickets for the final past $10,000, and government officials are now investigating FIFA over allegations that it misled fans and charged excessive prices.

The opening match was never likely to be a problem. Mexico playing in one of the most iconic stadiums in world football in front of passionate home supporters was always expected to be a sellout. But South Korea and Czechia, two neutral teams playing in the state of Jalisco, presented a very different challenge.

South Korea came from behind to win 2-1 after Czechia took the lead through Ladislav Krejci. Hwang In-beom equalized in the 67th minute before Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the winner in the 80th. It was an entertaining match, but it could also be an ominous sign of what lies ahead.

Not every match will have the star power of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, nor will every game benefit from the passionate home support that teams such as the United States, Mexico, and Canada enjoy. With ticket prices remaining extremely high, the empty red sections seen in Guadalajara could become a familiar sight as the tournament progresses.

The Problem is Spreading to Big Games

The empty seat issue is not just a one-time mistake in Mexico. Right now, around 180,000 tickets are sitting unsold or up for resale on official websites, and the problem is starting to hit major teams.

There are still thousands of unsold tickets floating around for England’s group matches against Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. Other games in massive stadiums around Los Angeles and San Francisco are facing the same threat. In fact, unsold tickets are still available for 71 out of the 104 matches in the tournament.

Fan groups are speaking out, saying they warned FIFA for months that prices were way too high. They had a chance to make this an unforgettable tournament for regular people, but they chose to chase corporate cash instead.

A great World Cup needs loud, passionate fans to bring the noise and color, not empty luxury boxes. If FIFA does not figure out a way to fix this pricing mess quickly, empty stands are going to be the biggest story of the summer.