London (AFP) – Scotland boss Steve Clarke has urged fans not to rack up huge debts as they plot how to follow their team at next year’s World Cup after decades of pain for the Tartan Army. Clarke’s men last month qualified for the tournament for the first time since 1998 and in June will take on Haiti and Morocco in Boston before meeting five-time winners Brazil in Miami.
However, excitement has been tempered by the release of ticket prices for the tournament, which have sparked outrage among fan groups across the globe. Tickets for Scotland’s three games range from $180 (£134) to $700. The cheapest tickets for the final start at more than $4,000.
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“My biggest wish is that the fans who travel everywhere, who go to all the far-flung places, can afford to get the tickets and get the chance to get the tickets so they can be there because those supporters deserve to be there,” said Clarke on Monday. “Some of the figures are eye-watering, if you look at them.”
“One of my biggest wishes is that people don’t put themselves too much into debt trying to buy tickets. Even the cheapest ones look to be pretty pricey.”
Football Supporters Europe last week called for governing body FIFA to stop the sale of tickets due to their “extortionate” cost. According to FSE, the tickets for the competition in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, between June 11 and July 19, will cost almost five times more than at the 2022 edition in Qatar. To follow a team from their first match to the final would cost a minimum of $6,900.
FIFA have not directly responded to criticism of the pricing structure but said there had been five million requests for tickets in the opening 24 hours due to “soaring global demand.”
© 2024 AFP
