Why were hundreds of seats left empty on FIFA World Cup 2026 opening day?

The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicked off with Mexico defeating South Africa 2-0 in front of a packed Mexico City Stadium as the home fans celebrated the dominant win of El Tri. While the opener at the Azteca Stadium saw more than 80,000 fans rooting for Mexico, the crowd presence for the second game between South Korea and the Czech Republic saw a lower turnout at the Guadalajara.