The figure has drawn accusations that FIFA exaggerated how many people were actually inside the stadium. The discrepancy lands amid pre-tournament criticism of ticket pricing and questions over demand for matches in the expanded 48-team tournament across Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
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 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 organisers also issued a picture showing a mostly full stadium. While there was a sizeable South Korean contingent at the ground, there appeared to be only a limited Czech presence for the 2-1 defeat. The Czech Republic are playing in their first World Cup for 20 years after qualifying late in March, and face a demanding travel schedule that sees them visit Atlanta before returning to Mexico City for their final group game.
Empty seating has surfaced at other fixtures as well. Swathes of empty seats appeared after half-time in Friday's game between Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina, but steadily began to fill up. More than 80,000 fans attended the Azteca stadium to watch the opening game between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, and it was mostly Mexican fans in attendance at Estadio Akron for Thursday's later fixture.
Tickets for the tournament have been the subject of fluctuating prices and availability, with thousands remaining available for sale across several platforms. Tickets for matches involving the smaller nations are now available well below face value across FIFA's own resale site and secondary marketplaces. Travel and hotel prices have also escalated, leading to the suggestion fans are being priced out of the tournament.
