Compared to the Sold-Out Streak Just a Few Years Ago
Some Say the Crushing Defeat to Brazil Is to Blame
Son Heung-min is greeting fans after the friendly match between the South Korean and Brazilian national football teams held on the 10th at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
The ticket sales rate for the South Korean national football team's friendly match against Paraguay, which follows their crushing defeat to Brazil, is falling short of expectations. With negative public sentiment toward the Korea Football Association and waning fan enthusiasm coinciding, it is anticipated that many sections of the stadium will remain empty.
The match against Paraguay, scheduled for 8 p.m. on October 14 at Seoul World Cup Stadium, is virtually impossible to sell out. As of 6 p.m., two hours before kickoff, the official ticketing platform 'PlayKFA' showed that approximately 38,000 out of a total of 66,000 seats remained unsold-more than half the stadium. Even when considering on-site ticket sales, analysts say a box office failure is inevitable.
Ticket availability status about 2 hours before the match between the South Korea national football team and Paraguay. Screenshot from playKFA
Just a few years ago, it was common for national team matches to sell out immediately. In 2022, four out of five home A-matches were sold out, and in September of the same year, all seats for the match against Costa Rica at Goyang Stadium were purchased within minutes of ticket sales opening. At that time, a full house was considered the norm.
Some attribute the sluggish ticket sales to the weather, but fans remain unimpressed. On a football community forum, criticisms poured in, such as, "Who would buy tickets after seeing the performance against Brazil?" "Both the coach and the players have declined in ability," and "It's shameless to expect a sellout while ignoring fan sentiment."
Coach Hong Myung-bo has hinted at some changes to the starting lineup ahead of the Paraguay match. At a press conference held at Goyang Stadium the previous day, he stated, "Since we lost to Brazil, this match is important in many ways," and added, "Some players who played long minutes against Brazil will need to be rotated."
Coach Hong Myung-bo is giving instructions to players during the friendly match between South Korea and Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 10th. Photo by Yonhap News
Attention is focused on whether the national team can win back their shaken fan base through this match.
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