FIFA probes empty seats at World Cup match in Yekaterinburg | Football News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

FIFA probes empty seats at World Cup match in Yekaterinburg

Agence France-Presse, Moscow | ByAgence France-Presse
Jun 16, 2018 03:03 AM IST

FIFA said nearly all the available tickets had been sold and it was investigating why there were so many no-shows.

FIFA is investigating why Egypt and Uruguay were playing in front of thousands of empty seats at their World Cup match in Yekaterinburg on Friday.

An Egyptian fan seats after the end of the group A match between Egypt and Uruguay at the FIFA World Cup 2018 in the Yekaterinburg Arena in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Friday, June 15, 2018. Uruguay defeated Egypt 1-0.(AP)
An Egyptian fan seats after the end of the group A match between Egypt and Uruguay at the FIFA World Cup 2018 in the Yekaterinburg Arena in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Friday, June 15, 2018. Uruguay defeated Egypt 1-0.(AP)

There were rows of empty orange seats at the freshly rebuilt arena in the industrial city, situated in the Ural Mountains.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The two soaring temporary seating sections at either end of the pitch appeared to be almost completely full, with one dominated by Egyptian fans and the other by the Uruguayans.

READ | FIFA World Cup 2018: Russia euphoric after opening day high

The seats are technically only supposed to be sold to Russian nationals.

FIFA said nearly all the available tickets had been sold and it was investigating why there were so many no-shows.

“We can confirm that 32,278 tickets have been allocated for the match between Egypt and Uruguay in Yekaterinburg. The FIFA World Cup stadium capacity is 33,061,” a spokesman for the football’s world governing body told AFP.

“The fact that the actual attendance doesn’t reflect the amount of allocated tickets can be due to different factors, which FIFA is currently investigating.”

READ | James Rodriguez a worry for Colombia ahead of FIFA World Cup 2018 opener

FIFA has allocated about 2.5 million tickets to the month-long showpiece, with Russian organisers saying that nearly all the tickets have already been sold.

Russians accounted for 46 percent of ticket sales, with the United States buying nearly 90,000.

Catch all the Latest Football matches score updates alongwith EPL 2024 Schedule , ISL 2024 Schedule and other related updates on ISL 2024 Points table on The Hindustan Times website and App
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On