World Cup Ticket Price Controversy Continues, Canada's Debut Sees Empty Seats
The exorbitant prices of tickets for the 2026 World Cup continue to have negative ramifications for FIFA, with over 1,000 of the 44,315 seats at BMO Field left unsold during Canada's 2026 World Cup debut match against Bosnia & Herzegovina. The match had a reported attendance of 43,002.
The unsold tickets remained available in the hours leading up to the first-ever World Cup match on Canadian soil. However, most of the Category 1 and Category 2 tier tickets left were offered at prices that ranged between $1,645 and $2,240, per The Independent. Many fans were simply priced out of attending the marquee event.
Canada rescued a 1-1 draw against Bosnia to secure its first ever World Cup point, but patches of empty seats were visible from the TV broadcast-even if a sea of fans wearing red shirts easily could've deceived viewers.
The World Cup ticket price controversy has been one of the biggest talking points in the build-up to the tournament. It took only two matches for FIFA's worst nightmare to materialize, with hundreds of empty seats spotted at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara during South Korea vs. Czechia match on Thursday night.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has vehemently defended the dynamic ticket prices for months now, yet having one of the three co-hosts play at less than completely sold-out capacity in its World Cup debut is a major red flag.
According to The Independent's report, only 29 of the 104 2026 World Cup matches were sold-out before the start of the tournament.
FIFA's Explanation For Empty Seats at World Cup Games
There might come a day when FIFA admits it made a mistake, but that day certainly hasn't arrived yet. Soccer's governing body recently released a statement that included an explanation as to why many empty seats were visible in the stands at Guadalajara for South Korea vs. Canada.
"Official attendance figures reflect the number of tickets scanned and spectators present within the stadium footprint, rather than visual assessments of seating occupancy at any given moment during the match," FIFA stated, via BBC.
"FIFA works closely with stadium authorities and ticketing teams to ensure all published figures are based on verified operational data. Please note that, during last night's match in Guadalajara, several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats throughout the match."
The excuse of fans taking their time in the concourse might apply to what appeared during Canada's match at BMO Field. Empty seats were mostly seen right after the start of the second half, when fans likely were still making their way to their seats. Other images of the match paint the picture of a packed stadium.
Nevertheless, empty seats and high-priced tickets continue to be a massive topic three games into the 2026 World Cup, and it doesn't seem like it's going away any time soon.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 7:23 PM.