Empty seats on World Cup’s opening day renew ticket price concerns

“Our entry price, which is $60, is the lowest entry price of any of the American sports in the playoff phases,” Infantino said.

But some supporter groups have challenged this position.

Football Supporters Europe filed a complaint to the European Commission in March, accusing FIFA of shutting ordinary fans out of the tournament by imposing “sky-high” prices that far exceed those at previous World Cup events. It has also said that the $60 tickets FIFA is advertising “barely existed” and were snatched up before general public sales opened.

Last month, the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey issued a subpoena to FIFA over its ticketing practices, citing media reports that fans may have been misled about the locations of the seats they were purchasing, and FIFA’s public statements and ticket releases may have contributed to soaring prices.

Even President Donald Trump weighed in, blasting high World Cup ticket prices in an interview with The New York Post last month.

NBC News reached out to FIFA for comment on the optics of the empty seats at Thursday’s game between South Korea and Czech Republic, and whether they were down to high ticket prices and other issues like travel costs and visa barriers.

The tournament takes place over the span of more than five weeks and concludes on July 19 with the final in New Jersey. The U.S. opens its campaign Friday night against Paraguay in Los Angeles.