Qatar 2022 will be extraordinary in many ways: The first World Cup in the Middle East will take place in the middle of the regular club season and will offer fans the unique opportunity to watch more than one match per day in the smallest country to ever host it. the event.
For those traveling from the United States to follow the men’s national team, Qatar will not only be a blessing after Russia 2018, when the US National Team Federation failed to qualify, but also a huge improvement after Brazil in 2014. “I think USMNT traveled to most of them during the role of The groups (in Brazil) because we played in Natal, and then in Manaus and Recife,” said Josh Concun, American Football Ticketing Manager. The USMNT team and fans flew nearly 9,000 miles in three round trips between the Games’ locations and their training facility in Sao Paulo.
In Qatar, things will be different. The furthest stadium is 46 miles from downtown, and the average travel time between stadiums is about an hour by car. “It is possible that the fans will be able to eat up to two matches a day, and FIFA will allow that,” Concón said.
The second round of ticket sales for the World Cup in Qatar kicked off on 8 April and ends on 28 April. Fans can purchase tickets for up to two matches a day at the start of the group stage. Tickets will be allocated by a random lottery, and fans will be notified by May 31. FIFA is also offering first-time fan tickets and conditional fan tickets for self-proclaimed followers from an eligible country who wish to sit with fellow fans.
During this phase, USMNT fans can go through FIFA customization or purchase tickets from USMNT directly. “We have fans who have applied through the FIFA method but now they want to apply through us,” Concón said.
To purchase these tickets, fans must be enrolled in the US Soccer Insiders Program. Being an insider is free, but there are paid levels as well. “If we have more tickets that the insiders have requested than our allotment, we will conduct a ticket raffle,” Concón said. “Higher levels of insiders have a better chance of choosing from to get tickets, but again, it’s still all a computer-generated raffle.”
Ticket prices vary, but according to the FIFA website, they can be as cheap as $70. In line with FIFA’s ticketing policy for the last World Cup, residents of Qatar will have exclusive access to Category 4 tickets, with prices starting at just QR40, or US$10.
But tickets are only one part of the journey. According to estimates, Qatar may be the most expensive World Cup. The cheapest Qatar Airways World Cup package is $3,800, which includes flight and accommodation for four nights and tickets for two games among the available packages. According to Berhold Trinkel, chief operating officer of the government-run Qatar Tourism Authority, fans without match tickets will not be allowed into Qatar during the tournament due to accommodation concerns.
Qatar’s Supreme Committee recently announced the introduction of a variety of new accommodations through its site, including hotels, tents and cruise ships moored in the Arabian Gulf. Back in December, Brian Hexel, branch president and travel director for American Outlaws, the fan organization that supports USMNT, said, Athlete The process of organizing the group’s trip to Qatar was difficult and expensive. Compared to $7,000 for three weeks in Brazil, Hexsel earned rates ranging from $12,000 to $20,000 per person.
But Concón remains optimistic about attendance. “It’s too early to guess how many tickets have been sold after the first 10 days; we’re still piecing together the numbers, but it looks like they’re initially positive.”
“The fans still have two more weeks to submit their applications,” he said, adding, “We know that the American fans will travel and support the team wherever we play in the world, especially after losing Russia.”
