Hundreds of empty seats were clearly visible during the World Cup 2026 Group B match between Switzerland and Qatar, held at the 70,000-capacity Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco on Saturday. This fixture, which Switzerland won, was the first game staged in the United States not involving a co-host nation and has intensified scrutiny over FIFA's controversial ticket pricing strategy for the tournament.
Despite a 'limited availability' message on FIFA's ticketing website in the hours leading up to the 12pm local time kick-off, significant pockets of unoccupied seats were noticeable throughout the stadium. The cheapest available tickets for this match were reportedly priced at $450 (approximately £355) for Category 1 seats in the lower bowl, contributing to the ongoing discussion about affordability for fans.
This incident follows similar scenes at earlier tournament matches. Thousands of empty seats were reported at the second match of the tournament between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, Mexico, and some unoccupied areas were also noted during Canada’s opening fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. FIFA had previously defended the attendance figures for the South Korea match by stating that some ticketed fans opted to stand in concourses rather than in their assigned seats, a claim they reiterated.
The pricing practices for the 2026 World Cup are now under formal investigation by chief legal officers in the United States. Attorneys General from New York and New Jersey have subpoenaed FIFA for information, following allegations of 'artificially inflating prices' and 'misleading fans' regarding ticket sales. Reports suggest that supporters were misled about seat locations, with more expensive 'front' category tickets released after initial sales. Furthermore, it is alleged that variable pricing allowed FIFA to increase prices for approximately 90 of the 104 fixtures by an average of 34 per cent, and that holding back seats before later release contributed to perceived scarcity and higher costs.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously defended the ticket prices, drawing comparisons to the high costs of attending play-off matches in major US sports leagues. However, the controversy has been a significant talking point since tickets were first released, with initial sales revealing prices up to £3,000 for the World Cup final and potential bills of £5,000 for fans following their teams through the entire tournament. The 2026 World Cup is projected to be up to five times more expensive than the previous tournament in Qatar, with FIFA targeting unprecedented revenues of $13 billion.
The persistent sight of empty seats at significant matches, coupled with the legal scrutiny, casts a shadow over FIFA's ambitious revenue targets and raises questions about the accessibility of global football's showpiece event for the average fan.