World Cup embarrassment as hundreds of seats are left empty for South Korea-Czechia... despite FIFA boasting of 'unprecedented' demand

By OLIVER SALT, US ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR and MARTIN ROBINSON, CHIEF REPORTER Published: 05:00, 12 June 2026 | Updated: 08:49, 12 June 2026 FIFA were humiliated last night after the World Cup's second match between South Korea and Czechia was played in front of swathes of empty seats - despite Gianni Infantino boasting of an 'unprecedented' demand for tickets 24 hours earlier. The row over pricing is proving to be a PR disaster for FIFA on the opening day of the tournament, which was also marred by rioting in Mexico City. Despite football's governing body claiming that its ticketing website had received an unprecedented 500 million booking requests - by far the highest in history - the stadium in Guadalajara in the west of Mexico was not full. The stadium announcer claimed the 45,664-capacity ground had 44,985 people inside for South Korea's comeback win over Czechia last night.  But TV coverage showed swathes of empty seats, particularly in VIP areas - far more than the 700-or-so that FIFA claimed were not taken in a city with 5.6million residents alone. FIFA has had to drastically cut ticket prices for all 104 matches in a bid to entice more supporters to the US, Canada and Mexico, despite boasting about the huge demand. But fans have complained about pricing, with tickets for the least popular group matches still being put on sale for upwards of $300. Thousands of tickets still remain available on its official resale portals, even for the United States' opening match against Paraguay on Friday in Los Angeles. However, the opening match at the famous Azteca Stadium in Mexico was an 83,264 sell-out, where home fans saw their country beat South Africa 2-0 after an opening ceremony featuring Shakira and a duet between KPop Demon Hunters star Ejae and Andrea Bocelli. But there were riots and protests outside the stadium where petrol bombs and bricks were hurled at Mexican police as people protested about human rights. Others tried to force themselves into the Azteca without tickets. South Korea and Czechia played the World Cup's second match in front of many empty seats FIFA insisted that there was unprecedented numbers battling for tickets FIFA insisted only around 700 seats were not taken but in reality it looked like much more South Korea milk the applause from fans after their 2-1 win but not all seats were taken The magnificent Guadalajara Stadium had spaces available throughout the stands The stadium announcer claimed the 45,664-capacity ground had 44,985 people inside last night - but TV pictures showed different Czech Republic Football Association President David Trunda shakes hands with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the stands before the match. Infantino has bragged about ticket sales but the reality looks very different 🚨TRENDING: Lots of empty seats in the stadium for South Korea vs Czechia. pic.twitter.com/8zESJeBGfB FIFA has insisted that there has never been more interest in buying match tickets - ten times more than previous tournaments. 'You’ve heard, there were many ​discussions about the ticketing of the World ​Cup,' President Gianni Infantino said in April.  'We had 500 million ticket requests — 500 million ​ticket requests. In the last two World Cups ​together, we had 50 million ticket requests. Here, 500 million.'  South Korea eventually got the better of Czechia on the night, fighting back from a goal down to win 2-1. The opening day of the World Cup proved a chaotic one for FIFA, with violent protests erupting outside the Mexico City Stadium before the opening match between Mexico and South Africa. What was supposed to be a global celebration turned into a chaotic political nightmare, threatening to completely overshadow the tournament's curtain-raiser. While Mexico secured a 2-0 victory over South Africa , thousands of protesters hit the capital to voice rage over missing citizens and poor labor conditions. The massive demonstrations were fueled by a coalition of multiple unions and activist groups marching to draw global eyes to the country's severe domestic issues. The most prominent groups mobilizing include searching mothers' collectives, the CNTE teachers' union, federal judiciary workers and various transport organizations. In total, it was reported that eight simultaneous protests took place on Thursday. Protesters attempt to breach the Mexico City Stadium but are stopped by a line of riot police as the match began inside A demonstrator waves a stick in front of riot police during violent scenes outside the stadium Human rights groups have thrown a spotlight on the country's staggering missing-persons epidemic, which continues to plague tens of thousands of families. According to Mexico's National Registry, there are currently 134,460 recorded missing persons across the nation, a figure that continues to rise rapidly. Shakira officially opened the 2026 World Cup on Thursday as the football extravaganza kicked off against a backdrop of chaos that threatens to derail the tournament.  In a rematch of the opening match from 2010, Mexico kickstarted the blockbuster tournament with a 2-0 win against South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday.  Yet, before the first whistle was even blown, fans were treated to an eye-catching display of action. Shakira and Burna Boy performed Dai Dai, the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to headline the opening ceremony.  In a spectacle of color and sound, hundreds of dancers joined the Colombian singer, who turned heads in a neon yellow bodysuit and white miniskirts, on the stage at the center of the field.  Shakira  joined Burna Boy to perform Dai Dai the official song of the 2026 World Cup The singer wows in a neon yellow bodysuit and white miniskirt and sunglasses Andrea Bocelli and South Korean singer Ejae also wowed fans Thousands of fans went wild inside the Azteca as Shakira, who also recorded the official anthem for the 2010 World Cup, shimmied her hips amid the sea of backup dancers.  She lit up the arena with her signature dance moves and trademark high-energy as she was joined by a traditional Mexican mariachi band. A massive gold replica of the World Cup trophy erupted from the ground at the center of the stage as the stream of dancers in brightly colored outfits burst out alongside the statue.  The jam-packed show also featured performances from Alejandro Fernandez, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Angeles Azules, Mana and Tyla - all of whom featured on the first-ever FIFA World Cup album.  Shakira's fellow Colombian, rapper J Balvin, was one of the biggest headlining acts at the ceremony, strutting on stage before Shakira's appearance.  J Balvin, one of the biggest artists in Latin America, performed alongside singer Ryan Castro after Mexican pop-rock legends Mana warmed up the home crowd with their classic hits.  Mexican actress and FIFA ambassador Salma Hayek was tasked with officially opening the tournament.  She delivered a short welcome speech before the ceremonial display of national flags and was later spotted in the stands alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino.  South African singer Tyla performed her nation's national anthem before kickoff before later taking a seat alongside reggaeton singer Becky G, who, despite being born in the US, proudly embraces her Mexican heritage and supports El Tri.   A stream of Mexican fans descended on the famous stadium hours before kickoff to celebrate their nation hosting the World Cup for a record third time.  Are you excited for the tournament, and who are you backing to go all the way? What's your view? Mexican actress Salma Hayek was tasked with declaring the tournament open Hayek, a FIFA ambassador, was later seen in the stands with FIFA President Gianni Infantino  A stream of dancers in brightly colored outfits burst out alongside the statue Other dancers were dressed in gold tracksuits and helmets as the paraded around footballs They transformed the Azteca into a spectacle of color, dressing in red and green from head to toe.  Many sported eye-catching outfits, donning extravagant headdresses, sequined sombreros and luchador masks.  Those not fortunate enough to have gotten their hands on one of the eye-wateringly expensive tickets piled into the fan zone in the Zócalo plaza in the historic district of Mexico City.  However, chaotic scenes broke out at the free admission fan park just over an hour before kickoff.  Access to the fan fest in Zócalo plaza was hampered by metal barriers erected in recent days to prevent protesting teachers from reaching the area. But thousands of fans attempted to shove their way into the fan zone, according to AFP.  'Stop pushing and shoving, there are children here, you're like animals!' a city official shouted through a megaphone as he tried to control access to the fan venue. Some fans threw water bottles and hurled insults at police, as well as chanting in support of the Mexican team. The local government announced on social media that the site was 'full' and suggested fans go to other plazas. Meanwhile, while fans around the world were stunned by Shakira's performance, viewers in the United States were furious when Fox, the official American broadcaster of the World Cup, failed to show the ceremony on its live coverage.  Instead, American fans tuning in to catch the high-octane performance were forced to listen to analysis from the network's panel of Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexi Lalas.  It is unclear why the network decided to shun Shakira's performance but Telemundo, the Spanish-language carrier of the tournament, broadcast the entire show.   The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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