Mideast fans scramble for World Cup tickets after Saudi victory
Enquiries for tickets have soared following Saudi Arabia's monumental 2-1 victory over two-time Fifa World Cup winners Argentina, a source from the organisation's Qatar sales revealed on Wednesday.
There has been an "unprecedented demand for tickets", particularly from Middle Eastern fans, sparking an online frenzy of requests and phone calls, the source said.
“Saudi Arabia's major upset has driven up requests and sales of daily tickets which have triggered a huge jump in interest for the tournament, and in particular Saudi matches," he said.
Saudi Arabia, who are playing in football's quadrennial showpiece for the sixth time, found themselves in rare territory in sporting history when they outplayed the South American giants led by Lionel Messi, who is widely recognised as one of the best soccer players in the world.
The source revealed that Fifa has a provision to release daily tickets to the public through the last-minute sales platform on their website until the end of the competition on December 18.
“Tickets are still available for Argentina's next match against Mexico (Saturday, 26 November),” the source said. “For sure those tickets will be attracting Argentine faithful where they will be expecting their team to bounce back.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia plays their second Group C match against Poland also on Saturday. Poland's best finish in the World Cup was in third place in West Germany in 1974 and in Spain in 1982.
Saudi Arabia’s major upset has driven up requests and sales of daily tickets which have triggered a huge jump in interest for the tournament, and in particular Saudi matches.
A source