The countdown is almost over.
It’s been 12 years in the making since Qatar was awarded hosting rights, but World Cup 2022 is nearly upon us.
FIFA’s decision to play the tournament in the Middle Eastern nation breaks new ground, and there has been a predictable scramble from fans to be involved in the historic staging of football’s international showpiece, which begins on November 20.
Thousands of supporters are expected to descend on the tiny country for the finals, although the switch to a November-December window has presented plenty of logistical challenges. Those travelling will navigate a complex process to follow their team in Qatar.
Predictably, ticketing has been one of the major question marks around the event. Here we look at all the info.
MORE: Exploring World Cup 2022 host venue Qatar
How to get tickets to Qatar World Cup 2022?
Limited tickets for the World Cup are still available for fans via FIFA’s ticket portal, with the governing body prepared to keeping selling right up until the tournament kickoff.
FIFA sold an estimated 1.8 million tickets during the first window of sales at the start of 2022, with further sales activated in July and August. The remaining tickets were made available on a first-come, first-served basis, with anticipated high demand.
Where to buy tickets to Qatar World Cup 2022?
According to FIFA, their ticketing portal is the only guaranteed place to purchase match tickets for Qatar 2022.
The world governing body has consistently told fans only to purchase tickets via their official channels and has issued strict warnings over the dangers of buying via unlicensed sellers and social media outlets.
Qatari authorities have also announced their own clampdown, with the country’s Ministry of Justice tweeting in July that anyone engaging in the illegal selling of World Cup tickets will face a fine of 250,000 Qatari riyal ($69,000).
Fans wishing to resell tickets they have purchased must do so via FIFA’s official resale platform, which is expected to open for an extended period in the weeks leading up to the tournament.
FIFA Hayya (Fan ID) Card for World Cup 2022
FIFA has also confirmed all fans will need to complete an extra step in the process to attend any match at the tournament.
As well as their match ticket, they will also need to register for a ‘Hayya (Fan ID) Card’ prior to attending any game.
A valid Hayya Card will be required, alongside a valid match ticket, to access any stadium in Qatar.
How much do World Cup tickets cost?
Four categories of tickets were made available to supporters wanting to attend the World Cup in Qatar, as well as dedicated ticketing for those with disabilities and limited mobility.
Category 1 is the highest priced, located in prime areas within the stadium.
Category 2 and Category 3 are seating areas within the stadium offering a less-premium view of the action.
Category 4 is a seating area within the stadium reserved exclusively for residents of Qatar.
All tickets are sold in Qatari riyal to both residents of Qatar and international fans, with prices ranging from 40 riyal ($11) through to 5,850 riyal ($1,607).
Ticket categories and prices for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
Random selection draw sales will start at 1:00 PM Doha time today pic.twitter.com/tksZBXaEHs
— Qatar Football Live (@QFootLive) January 19, 2022
Cheapest and most expensive World Cup tickets
Given the spread of categories and matches available, there is naturally a big difference in the cheapest and most expensive tickets on offer to fans.
While opening-match tickets for the hosts’ Group A clash with Ecuador have been sold for 200 riyal ($55) at the cheaper end to 2,250 riyal ($618) for Cat. 1, other group matches range from 40 riyal ($11) to 800 riyal ($220).
Round of 16 matches are priced from 70 riyal ($19) to 1,000 riyal ($275) while quarterfinals range from 300-1,550 ($82.5-$426) and semifinals are 500-3,480 ($137-$956).
Predictably, it is the final for which fans will pay top dollar, with the cheapest seats being sold for 750 riyal ($206), through to the premium Cat. 1 seats at 5,850 ($1,607).
How many tickets are sold for Qatar 2022?
As per official data from FIFA, tickets sales for Qatar 2022 reached over 2.45 million by August 2022.
That figure included 520,532 sold between July and August, with the eventual figure expected to exceed 2.8m ahead of the start of the tournament.
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