The world football headquarters FIFA defended the official attendance figures for the match between the Republic of Korea and the Czech Republic at the World Cup, after television footage showed many empty seats in the stands, BTA reports. The match, which took place in Guadalajara, Mexico, was attended by 44,985 spectators at a stadium capacity of 45,664 seats. According to FIFA data, this means an occupancy rate of 98.5 percent. However, empty seats were clearly visible in various parts of the facility during the television broadcast.
The international federation explained the discrepancy by the fact that many spectators preferred to spend time in the stadium's food and entertainment areas, rather than staying in their seats throughout the match.
“Official attendance figures reflect the number of scanned tickets and spectators present within the stadium, and not the visual occupancy of the seats at any particular moment of the match“, FIFA said.
According to official information from the organization, a total of 29 World Cup matches were completely sold out before the start of the tournament. However, tickets were still available for another 75 matches, DPA reports.
The attendance issue is also closely linked to the ongoing debate over ticket prices for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The high prices have drawn criticism from some fans, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the organization's policy, saying some World Cup tickets were being offered at lower prices than those for some college league games in the United States.