00:02FIFA has come under renewed scrutiny over ticket prices after thousands of empty seats
00:08were seen during the World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara
00:13on Thursday.
00:14Although FIFA reported an attendance of 44,985 at the 46,000-seat stadium, images showing
00:22large sections of empty seats sparked criticism from fans and observers.
00:28Supporters at the venue blamed high ticket prices for the low turnout, arguing that many
00:32ordinary fans had been priced out of attending matches.
00:57I was not sure if they were empty seats or if they were white shirts of people who supported
01:05Korea.
01:07The camera on the TV really didn't pass much in the stadium and I think it was much to
01:13hide the empty seats.
01:16It was terrible that FIFA used the system that used the FIFA for tickets to increase the
01:24prices and not be able to increase the prices and not be able to increase the prices so much.
01:31It left a lot of people like me and my son without being able to go to the stadium.
01:37Meanwhile, FIFA said in a statement that official attendance figures reflect the number of tickets
01:42scanned and spectators present within the stadium footprint rather than visual assessments of
01:48seating occupancy at any given moment during the match.
01:51FIFA also explained that many seats appeared empty because some fans chose to remain in the
01:57concourses instead of staying in their assigned seats throughout the match.
02:01FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the pricing structure on Wednesday, saying ticket
02:07prices are comparable to those of other major sporting events.
02:10Despite the criticism, FIFA said it has sold more than 6 million tickets for the tournament,
02:16with demand exceeding expectations across the Americas.
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