Red was prominently on display during the World Cup Group B match featuring Qatar against Switzerland on Saturday afternoon.
Along with the bright red shirts donned by Swiss fans, the color filled Levi’s Stadium, largely thanks to numerous empty seats scattered throughout the venue.
Interestingly, a tweet noted the turnout was better than expected, with fewer than 1,000 seats unfilled. It seems like a bit of a surprise given the context.
Levi’s Stadium usually accommodates about 68,500 spectators for NFL games, but can be extended to hold up to 70,000 during the World Cup.
The Swiss fans, undeniably proud in their red attire, seemed to merge with the backdrop of vacant seats.
One point of contention around this year’s World Cup has been the steep ticket prices. Before the match, President Trump expressed reluctance to spend $1,000 on a ticket, which has reportedly climbed during the tournament.
The San Francisco 49ers have previously faced criticism for underwhelming attendance at their games, which some insist is partly due to traffic delays affecting fans on their way to the stadium.
As for the World Cup, to mitigate delays, Levi’s Stadium has rolled out a stricter no-tailgating policy. This move should, in theory, smooth the entry process for attendees.
Earlier this year, when the Super Bowl was hosted at the same venue, it was packed even before the opening kickoff.
It’s worth mentioning that issues with empty seats aren’t exclusive to just this match; FIFA is already encountering challenges with attendance just three days into the tournament. Observations of empty seats were also noted during the South Korea versus Czech Republic match, prompting FIFA to shift some blame towards fans lingering in concourse areas.
