With nine months to go until the deadline, FIFA is already rubbing its hands and rolling mechanics. The first phase of ticket sales for the World Cup in Qatar, which will take place at the end of the year (November 21-December 18), ended on Tuesday. During that time, 17 million requests from around the world were made, FIFA said. The most coveted match is logically the final, on December 18 at the Lusail Stadium. On its own, it concentrated 1.8 million requests.
“Qatari residents account for the bulk of this total, reached in just 20 days. Countless requests have also come in from strongholds and other key markets in world football, including England, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, France, India and Mexico,” FIFA said in a statement.
Not all applications can be fulfilled, given the capacity of the stadiums, the football body will communicate the result of these applications on March 8, as well as the steps to be followed and the deadline for payment of the tickets awarded. Until then, subject to availability, the schedule of the next phase of sales, on a first-come, first-served basis, will be communicated by the ticketing department of the instance.
Ticket sales began on Wednesday, January 19, with prices lower than in previous editions, according to the International Federation. Fifa, perhaps in an attempt to restore the coat of arms of a competition where the dates but also the methods of construction of the stadiums have been disputed, is playing the card of a World Cup more financially accessible than previous editions.
Prices that start at €61 per place
A lottery system allows spectators from all walks of life to buy tickets for a price starting at 61 euros, regarding a third less than those that were sold for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The price of a sesame for the final, however, can reach 1, 422 euros. The organizers have not yet announced how many spectators will be admitted to the stadiums amid uncertainties related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Residents of Qatar and migrant workers, whose treatment has been a source of controversy, can also buy tickets for 10 euros. The final draw for the matches of the first World Cup held in an Arab country is supposed to take place at the beginning of April, with FIFA hinting in its statement on Tuesday that it might be held on April 1.
