The match between the Netherlands and Senegal started with plenty of empty seats in the stands at Al-Thumama Stadium, but gradually filled up with ticketless fans who were able to get in due to a failure in the access system.

Senegalese fans at the 2022 World Cup in QatarPhoto: Michael Zemanek / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

Malfunctions in the software that controlled the turnstiles

A software problem similar to the one that occurred in the England-Iran match meant that the gates of the stadium remained open and many fans managed to get in without having a ticket for the match, writes Marca.

The capacity of the stadium is exceeded by the number of fans

The Al Thumama stadium costs 324 million dollars and has a capacity of 40,000. At the match between Senegal and the Netherlands, the organizers announced the presence of 41,721 spectators.

England beat Senegal 6-2 in their opening match of Group B at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.