Empty seats at WC match renew concerns over ticket prices

GUADALAJARA, Mexico, June 11 (Reuters): FIFA reported an attendance of 44,985 for Thursday's World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, but swathes of empty seats around the stadium renewed concerns over ticket pricing and demand for the expanded tournament.

While more than 80,000 squeezed into the Azteca stadium to watch the opener between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, the optics of unoccupied rows at the 46,000-seat stadium in Guadalajara, a city with a deep-rooted football culture, have intensified criticism of FIFA's commercial strategy for the first 48-team World Cup.

Some fans at the stadium blamed the high ticket prices for the rows of empty seats and criticised FIFA for their pricing model.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday defended FIFA's ticket pricing following criticism from supporters who argued the cost of attending matches had become prohibitive. He said ticket prices were on a par with other major sporting events. FIFA has sold more than 6 million tickets for the tournament and previously highlighted strong interest from across the Americas, with Infantino saying demand had exceeded expectations by "a factor of 10 or more".