World Cup embarrassment as hundreds of seats are left empty for South Korea-Czechia… despite FIFA boasting of ‘unprecedented’ demand
South Korea came from behind to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 in a thrilling second match of the World Cup; However, the match was played in front of empty seats.
A row over ticket prices turned into a public relations disaster for FIFA on the opening day of the tournament.
The stadium in Guadalajara, in western Mexico, remained unfilled, despite football’s governing body claiming the ticketing website had received an unprecedented 500 million booking requests – the highest figure in history.
The stadium announcer claimed that there were 44,985 people in the 45,664 capacity area last night.
However, TV broadcasts showed that there were many empty seats, especially in VIP areas; this was far more than the 700-plus seats FIFA claimed did not qualify for South Korea’s opening win.
Despite boasting huge demand, FIFA was forced to drastically reduce ticket prices for all 104 matches in a bid to attract more fans to the US, Canada and Mexico.
But fans have complained about pricing, with tickets for the least popular group matches still being offered for more than $300.
Even for the USA’s opening game against Paraguay in Los Angeles on Friday, thousands of tickets are still available on official resale portals.
But there was a sellout crowd of 83,264 for the opening match at the famous Azteca Stadium in Mexico, and after an opening ceremony featuring Shakira and a duet between KPop Demon Hunters star Ejae and Andrea Bocelli, home fans saw their country beat South Africa 2-0.
However, there were riots and protests outside the stadium, with Molotov cocktails and bricks thrown at Mexican police.
South Korea and Czech Republic played their second match of the World Cup in front of many empty seats
The two countries finished the opening day of the tournament at Mexico’s Guadalajara Stadium
FIFA insisted there had never been more than ten times more interest in buying match tickets than in previous tournaments.
‘You’ve heard that there are a lot of discussions about the ticketing of the World Cup,’ President Gianni Infantino said in April.
‘We had a demand for 500 million tickets – we had a demand for 500 million tickets. We received 50 million ticket requests in the last two World Cups. Here, 500 million.”
South Korea managed to defeat the Czech Republic and win 2-1 at the end of the night.
However, the seats were not taken.
The opening day of the World Cup was a chaotic day for FIFA; Violent protests broke out outside the Mexico City Stadium ahead of the opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
What was supposed to be a global celebration turned into a chaotic political nightmare, threatening to completely overshadow the tournament’s curtain-raiser.
As Mexico claimed a 2-0 victory over South Africa, thousands of protesters descended on the capital to voice their anger over missing citizens and poor working conditions.
The mass demonstrations were fueled by a coalition of numerous unions and activist groups marching to draw global attention to the country’s serious internal problems.
Among the most prominent groups taking action are search mothers’ collectives, the CNTE teachers’ union, federal judiciary workers, and various transport organizations. In total, eight simultaneous protests were reported to have occurred on Thursday.
Protesters attempt to enter Mexico City Stadium but are stopped by riot police as the match begins inside.
A protester waves a stick in front of riot police during scenes of violence outside the stadium
Human rights groups have highlighted the staggering missing persons epidemic that continues to haunt tens of thousands of families in the country.
According to Mexico’s National Registry, there are currently 134,460 registered missing persons nationwide, and the number continues to grow rapidly.
Shakira officially opened the 2026 World Cup on Thursday; The football extravaganza began amid chaos that threatened to derail the tournament.
In a rematch of the opening game in 2010, Mexico kicked off the blockbuster tournament by beating South Africa 2-0 at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday.
Even before the first whistle blew, fans were treated to a dazzling display of action.
Shakira and Burna Boy performed Dai Dai, the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, at the opening ceremony.
Hundreds of dancers accompanied the Colombian singer, who attracted attention with her neon yellow bodysuit and white mini skirts, on the stage in the middle of the field, accompanied by a feast of colors and sounds.
Shakira joins Burna Boy to perform Dai Dai, the official song of the 2026 World Cup
The singer fascinated with her neon yellow jumpsuit, white miniskirt and sunglasses
Thousands of fans went wild at the Azteca as Shakira, who also recorded the official anthem of the 2010 World Cup, shook her hips amid a sea of backup dancers.
Accompanied by a traditional Mexican mariachi band, he lit up the arena with his unique dance moves and unique high energy.
A massive golden replica of the World Cup trophy burst from the ground in the middle of the stage, as dancers dressed in brightly colored outfits streamed past the statue.
The jam-packed show also featured performances by Alejandro Fernandez, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Angeles Azules, Mana and Tyla; these were all featured on the first FIFA World Cup album.
Shakira’s Colombian friend, rapper J Balvin, was one of the most important names at the ceremony and appeared on stage before Shakira took the stage.
J Balvin, one of Latin America’s biggest artists, took the stage with singer Ryan Castro after Mexican pop-rock legends Mana warmed up the audience with their classic hits.
The official opening of the tournament was undertaken by Mexican actress and FIFA ambassador Salma Hayek.
She delivered a short welcome speech before the ceremonial display of national flags and was later spotted in the stands alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
South African singer Tyla performed her country’s national anthem before kickoff and later sat next to reggaeton singer Becky G, who despite being born in the US, proudly embraces her Mexican heritage and supports El Tri.
A flock of Mexican fans descended on the famous stadium hours before kick-off to celebrate their country hosting the World Cup for a record third time.
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Mexican actress Salma Hayek was tasked with declaring the tournament open
FIFA ambassador Hayek was later seen in the stands with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
A group of dancers dressed in brightly colored outfits burst out from the side of the statue
Other dancers wore gold tracksuits and helmets as they paraded around footballs.
Dressed in red and green from head to toe, they turned Azteca into a colorful spectacle.
Many people were wearing eye-catching outfits, flashy headdresses, sequined sombreros and luchador masks.
Those who were unlucky got their hands on one of the eye-wateringly expensive tickets piled high in the fan zone at the Zócalo plaza in Mexico City’s historic district.
However, an hour before kick-off, chaotic scenes broke out in the free-entry fan park.
Access to the fan festival at the Zócalo plaza has been blocked by metal barriers erected in recent days to prevent protesting teachers from reaching the area. However, according to AFP, thousands of fans tried to enter the fan zone.
‘Stop pushing and shoving, there are children here, you’re like animals!’ a city official shouted through a megaphone as he tried to control access to the fans’ concourse.
Some fans threw water bottles at the police, shouted insults and chanted slogans in support of the Mexican team.
The local government announced on social media that the site was ‘full’ and advised fans to go to other plazas.
Meanwhile, while fans around the world were stunned by Shakira’s performance, viewers in the United States were outraged after Fox, the official American broadcaster of the World Cup, did not show the ceremony live.
Instead, American fans tuning in to catch the high-octane performance were forced to listen to analysis from the network’s panel of Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexi Lalas.
It’s unclear why the network decided to reject Shakira’s performance, but Telemundo, the tournament’s Spanish-language carrier, aired the entire show.
