Argentina's World Cup quarterfinal against Switzerland saw a number of empty seats reported in the stands at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, despite FIFA claiming a sellout crowd of 69,045 and the presence of Lionel Messi
Argentina's World Cup quarterfinal against Switzerland was marked by a noticeable number of vacant seats throughout Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Despite the allure of Lionel Messi in what is expected to be his final World Cup and a massive traveling contingent of Argentina supporters, hundreds of empty seats remained visible in the upper tiers throughout the match. Ticket pricing at this World Cup has drawn considerable scrutiny, and just the second game of the tournament left FIFA red-faced by the sight of unfilled seats.
FIFA declared an official attendance of a complete sellout — 69,045 fans — yet All Out Soccer noted several sections that appeared unoccupied throughout the contest. Attendance figures have largely held firm at this World Cup, despite pre-tournament concerns that empty seats would become a recurring issue.
However, it was striking to see a less-than-full house for one of the tournament's marquee matchups, featuring its biggest name. Upper-level seats were fetching approximately $1,400 on resale platforms ahead of kickoff. Arrowhead Stadium holds 76,416 for Kansas City Chiefs games, but that capacity has been temporarily reduced to 69,045 for World Cup fixtures.
The venue previously hosted Argentina's opening group stage match, a 3-0 victory over Algeria, during which a record-breaking Messi hat-trick made him the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history. The venue has since hosted Ecuador vs. Curacao, Tunisia vs. the Netherlands, Algeria vs. Austria, and a Round of 32 clash between Colombia and Ghana.
Argentina against Switzerland marked the stadium's final fixture during the tournament. FIFA has trumpeted attendance figures and a record-breaking turnout across the opening 72 matches.
During the group stage, FIFA statistics reported a total of 4,644,549 spectators across fixtures, with 99.7 percent of available seats occupied. That generated an average attendance of 64,508 per match, drawing supporters from 210 countries and territories.
The previous all-time World Cup attendance record stood at 3.5 million, set the last time the tournament was staged in the USA back in 1994. The semifinal between the victors of Argentina and Switzerland will take place in Atalanta, while France and Spain will square off in Dallas in the other semifinal, ahead of the final at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19.
Source: Alloutsoccer.com
