General view outside Levi’s Stadium on June 11, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif.

Just one day before it begins hosting FIFA World Cup matches, Levi’s Stadium faces a problem that has become all too familiar this tournament: entire rows of empty seats.

Ticketing for the global soccer showcase has been under a bright spotlight ever since it began last fall. Not only were the prices exorbitant — and they have only gone up since — but FIFA also used a dynamic pricing model and split those tickets into multiple broad categories, rather than offering fans specifically assigned seats. Then, in April, FIFA revealed new sub-categories that offered front-row seats in many sections for higher prices than what fans had previously been offered during the fall presale, with no indication that their fall presale order would not include the opportunity to sit in the front rows. The lack of transparency around ticketing has led four state attorney generals, including California’s Rob Bonta, to say they are looking into whether FIFA misled customers with these ticketing moves.

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Tickets at Levi’s Stadium (which the tournament refers to as the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium) have been........

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