- Fifa has defended the attendance figures for the South Korea vs Czech Republic World Cup match , where thousands of empty seats were observed, by stating that some ticketed fans chose to stand in concourses rather than their assigned seats.
- The match, which saw South Korea defeat Czech Republic 2-1 in a Group A contest in Guadalajara, was notable for the visible swathes of unoccupied seating, raising further questions about Fifa's ticket pricing strategy.
- Fifa's official spokesperson clarified that attendance figures reflect scanned tickets and spectators within the stadium footprint, not just visual seating occupancy, and confirmed close collaboration with stadium authorities for verified data.
- The controversy stems from FIFA's dynamic pricing policy, which has led to some standard tickets for the final reportedly reaching $5,785, with a reported 180,000 tickets still listed on resale portals before the tournament began.
- Politicians in New York and New Jersey have launched an investigation into Fifa's ticketing practices following complaints about a lack of clarity regarding online queue waiting times and the eventual inflated prices for fans.
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