FIFA World Cup 2026: The first day of the FIFA World Cup did not go as expected. The stadium was filled with empty seats. Prior to that, there were reports of unrest on the streets.

FIFA World Cup 2026

The opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 was played between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa. The tournament was hyped before the start, but the actual match revealed a different story. Stadiums were empty, and there were also reports of street violence. So let's explore how the first day of FIFA's tournament was a disaster.

The first match, played at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, saw a full crowd, but the match between South Korea and Czechia at the Guadalajara Stadium saw empty seats. Commentators reported that 44,958 spectators were present in the stadium, which has a capacity of 45,664, but when the camera panned to the stands, empty seats were visible, raising questions about FIFA.

FIFA made a big claim regarding the ticket

FIFA made a bold claim regarding ticketing, claiming it received 500 million ticket requests for the World Cup, a figure ten times higher than the previous two World Cups. However, the reality is somewhat different. FIFA had to reduce ticket prices for some matches to attract more spectators to the stadiums.

Chaos on the streets

Before the start of the tournament, protesters thronged the streets of Mexico City, protesting against missing citizens, the plight of workers, and human rights issues. Clashes between police and protesters were reported in some locations. The issue of missing persons is becoming increasingly serious in Mexico. Currently, 134,460 people are listed as missing in the country's national register.

How were the first two matches?

Hosts Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in the first match, followed by South Korea's 2-1 win over Czechia in the second group stage match.