South Korea rallied from a goal down to defeat Czechia 2-1 in an entertaining second match of the World Cup, though the game unfolded before large sections of unoccupied seats.
The controversy surrounding ticket prices is quickly turning into a public relations headache for FIFA on the tournament’s opening day.
Although world football’s governing body said its ticketing platform had been hit with an extraordinary 500 million booking requests, the stadium in Guadalajara, western Mexico, was noticeably short of a full house.
The in-stadium announcer reported an attendance of 44,985 at the 45,664-capacity venue. However, television pictures appeared to show significant pockets of empty seats, especially in the VIP sections.
FIFA has already been forced to slash ticket prices across all 104 matches in an effort to draw more fans to venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico, despite earlier claims of overwhelming demand.
Supporters, however, have continued to voice frustration over costs, noting that even tickets for less attractive group-stage fixtures were still being sold for more than $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.
South Korea and Czechia played the World Cup’s second match in front of many empty seats
The two nations completed the tournament’s opening day at Mexico’s Guadalajara Stadium
‘You’ve heard, there were many discussions about the ticketing of the World Cup,’ FIFA 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
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.
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.
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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
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.
