The FIFA World Cup is arguably the biggest sports competition in the world. However, the first round of games in Qatar has seen multiple empty seats.

"Empty Seats" first popped up in the opening game between Qatar and Ecuador. However, this was due to the home fans leaving the stadium after a forgettable performance by the hosts in the first game.

However, the next few games have raised more questions. The games between Netherlands and Senegal, Morocco and Croatia, USA and Wales, Switzerland and Cameroon have also seen this trend follow as there were a lot of empty sections that could be clearly seen on the broadcasting camera itself.

This does raise a lot of questions as this has not been a trend in previous World Cups. The events in Russia, Brazil, and South Africa previously were sold out on most occasions. It could be argued that this could be due to the strict rules and regulations put in place by the Qatari government and the calls for boycott made by the fans owing to "human rights".

The games featuring the "popular" teams have been thoroughly sold out. The Argentina vs Saudi Arabia fixture filled up the 80,000-seater stadium to capacity and this would be the trend going forward to the knockout rounds as well.

It has to be seen if the group-stage games featuring the lower-ranked teams would draw better attendance in the next two games!