FIFA has been forced to make last-ditch attempts to sell out the World Cup third-place play-off between England and France on Saturday night, slashing prices for the more expensive categories to avoid embarrassing empty seats.
Ticket Sales Plummet
As of 10am UK time on Friday, around 7,000 tickets were still available, just 36 hours before kick-off in Miami. Of those, 1,246 were on general sale at prices of £657 and £855, while 5,864 were listed on the official resale platform, with the cheapest category three tickets costing £346 plus FIFA’s 15 per cent fee.
To underline the savings now available, a category one ticket originally priced at £855 is now going for £500. Interest in the match appears muted, reflecting the underwhelming sense about the third-place play-off, with both teams harbouring hopes of making the final.
Past Viewing Figures
England’s last third-place play-off in 2018 against Belgium saw less than a third of the 30.9 million viewers who watched the semi-final loss to Croatia tune in. This trend may repeat, as Thomas Tuchel’s side must move on from their semi-final defeat to Argentina.
Tuchel Responds to Critics
“We feel the most pain of all, and it is our scar that we carry now,” said the former Chelsea boss in a heated Friday press conference. “It's our pain, my pain, and the players' pain. It is a very painful defeat, and we have to live with this defeat, first and foremost, not the critics, not the experts, not our family members, who suffer as well with us, and want only the best for us. We will overcome it, we will use it, we will have a reaction, and it starts from tomorrow. If we win the game tomorrow, we have the best results of a World Cup in 60 years. It's a perspective to it.”
Final Also Not Sold Out
Tickets have not sold out for Sunday’s World Cup final either, with more than a thousand tickets available on the FIFA resale site.
