India, June 12 -- The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicked off with plenty of action on the pitch as South Korea came back to win 2-1 against Czechia. But the real talking point was in the stands. Millions of empty red seats. That's the sight FIFA desperately wanted to avoid at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico. But fans watching from around the world were stunned by the sight.

FIFA announced a near-capacity crowd of 44,985 inside the 46,000-seat venue. But despite the official numbers, reporters on the ground estimated thousands of fans were absent. The scene was a stark visual contrast for a country that had crammed the iconic Estadio Azteca with more than 80,000 fans just hours earlier for Mexico's opener against South Africa. Guadalajara is co...