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We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
David James

Tens of thousands of World Cup tickets still unsold as ‘variable pricing’ drama escalates, hundreds of empty seats visible in stadiums

Fifa World Cup Joe Pompliano

The 2026 World Cup is officially underway, but the opening matches have showcased to the world a sight governing body FIFA would like to have avoided: hundreds of empty seats in stadiums. The second game of the tournament, South Korea v Czechia in Guadalajara, was particularly badly hit, with video online showing large vacant areas in the stadium.

Tickets to the World Cup are a hot commodity as die-hard fans gather from around the world to support their nations in one of the biggest sporting events the world has ever seen. So, what’s happened?

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