- Canada's opening World Cup 2026 match in Toronto featured numerous empty seats at the 44,315-capacity BMO Field, with top-tier tickets priced between $1,645 and $2,240, a cost that Donald Trump previously stated he “wouldn't pay”.
- This issue follows thousands of empty seats observed during the second match of the tournament between South Korea and Czech Republic in Guadalajara, raising concerns about FIFA's pricing strategy.
- Only 29 of the 104 fixtures had sold out before the tournament began, prompting chief legal officers in New York and New Jersey to launch an investigation into Fifa's ticketing practices.
- The investigation alleges Fifa “artificially inflated prices” and “misled fans” by using variable pricing and holding back seats, which reportedly increased prices for about 90 matches by an average of 34 per cent.
- Fifa President Gianni Infantino defended the high ticket costs by comparing them to US sports play-off matches, with the 2026 World Cup projected to be up to five times more expensive than the previous tournament in Qatar, targeting $13bn in revenue.
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