"70,000 people for such a boring match?" Dismissed for lacking a big match, this venue turned out to be a huge hit... Ticket prices also hit a 'minimum of 3 million won'

*This content was translated by AI.

The 2026 FIFA North American World Cup host city, once dismissed for lacking a big match or a strong championship contender, has achieved a massive commercial success.

Reuters reported on the 29th (Korean time), stating, "The San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, once criticized as 'boring,' has spectacularly overturned the predictions of World Cup skeptics." The report highlighted that while no big matches were scheduled in the Bay Area, every group stage match drew large crowds.

According to reports, there was significant dissatisfaction among U.S. soccer fans regarding the Bay Area schedule even before the World Cup opened. While other U.S. host cities were assigned high-profile matches—Argentina in Kansas City and England in Boston—the highest-ranked team in the group stage matches held in the Bay Area was 16th-ranked Switzerland.

Another notable feature was the prevalence of matches involving Arab nations. Qatar, Algeria, and Jordan held their group stage schedules in the Bay Area, with Jordan playing two group stage matches exclusively there. Concerns were also raised about the lack of nightlife for soccer fans in the Santa Clara area surrounding the stadium.

Consequently, fears emerged that the Bay Area World Cup could end in a commercial failure. The local U.S. media outlet, the San Francisco Chronicle, even published an article ahead of the tournament titled, "The World Cup was supposed to be a blockbuster event for the Bay Area. So why does it feel like a failure?"

However, this was merely a false alarm. Once the World Cup began, the Bay Area transformed into a vibrant venue comparable to any other host city. In the D-group third-round group stage match between Australia and Paraguay held on the 26th, a staggering 68,827 spectators filled the stadium. This figure was just slightly short of the stadium's maximum capacity of 69,391. Although the match ended in a 0-0 scoreless draw, many soccer fans packed the stadium to enjoy the World Cup atmosphere.

Even the match with the lowest attendance in the Bay Area was lively. The opening match between Switzerland and Qatar drew 67,966 spectators.

A soccer fan who watched the Australia-Paraguay match in person told Reuters, "We wanted to experience the World Cup. We sat in a very high (less desirable) seat, but we could still feel the atmosphere." He reportedly paid $330 (approximately 500,000 won) for a seat in the highest tier of the stadium, directly exposed to the scorching sun.

Finally, a "super-sized big match" has been scheduled for the Bay Area, which unexpectedly achieved a massive commercial success in the group stage. It is the United States' Round of 32 match. The United States will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the North American World Cup Round of 32 at the Bay Area next month on the 2nd. A massive crowd is expected.

Ticket prices have also skyrocketed. According to Reuters, the lowest-priced tickets for the United States' Round of 32 match on resale platforms approached $2,000. This is an enormous amount exceeding 3 million won.

The excitement outside the stadium is also intense. The organizers are preparing a large-scale cheering event at the main fan zone in San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose, within the same Bay Area region. A fourth large screen is also being installed for the United States' Round of 32 match. According to the Bay Area Host Committee, the number of visitors to this plaza since the World Cup opened has exceeded 350,000.

Reuters reported, "The Bay Area, once criticized for having a 'boring' schedule, is now laughing last."

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*This content was translated by AI.