Numerous noticeable gaps were present in the 45,664-capacity Guadalajara Stadium, particularly in central sections of the stands, with various other empty seats throughout the venue. The reported attendance was 44,985, which included FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“Official attendance figures represent the number of tickets scanned and the spectators within the stadium’s footprint, rather than visual assessments of seating occupancy at any time during the match,” FIFA stated, emphasizing its collaboration with stadium authorities and ticketing teams to ensure that all published figures are grounded in verified operational data.
“It’s important to note that, during last night’s match in Guadalajara, numerous ticketed fans were seen in the concourses instead of remaining in their assigned seats for the duration of the match,” the organizing body of world soccer remarked.
A considerable number of fans indeed stood on the concourses and near the concession stands throughout Thursday’s match.
Toronto also had some empty seats
On Friday, the stadium in Toronto was nearly full for Canada’s inaugural World Cup match on home turf, but some empty sections were evident, especially near the field in the lower bowl and in a high corner of the temporary seating. Toronto Stadium, with an official capacity of 43,036, is the smallest venue in the tournament and required additional seating to meet FIFA’s minimum standards. The announced attendance on Friday was 43,002. It’s a bustling sports weekend in Toronto, with the Blue Jays facing the New York Yankees and the Canadian Open golf tournament taking place about an hour away.
FIFA set record ticket prices for this year’s World Cup
FIFA has implemented record ticket prices across the 11 stadiums in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. The soccer organization utilized dynamic pricing and has consistently increased prices since tickets first went on sale last fall. Infantino defended these prices on Wednesday, describing them as suitable for the North American market, although they have faced criticism for list prices reaching five figures. Prior to the tournament kickoff on Thursday, 29 games had sold out (with wheelchair seats available for some of those), and 75 matches still had tickets left.
