Argentine supporters, who have “always flocked to World Cups by the tens of thousands,” now “find themselves facing the highest ever ticket prices for this summer’s World Cup,” according to Panja, Bubola & Cholakian Herrera of the N.Y. TIMES. Argentines are competing for tickets “not only with each other but also with fans who want to see one of the game’s greatest players,” Inter Miami F Lionel Messi, at what will “almost certainly be his last World Cup.” For many Argentines, financing tournament trips has “rarely been straightforward.” Argentina’s “volatile economy, with low wages and skyrocketing inflation, often forces people to work two or even three jobs to make ends meet.” But experts say that it is “precisely because of Argentina’s history of political and economic instability that world-class soccer serves as a key linchpin to their national pride.” Some fans “start saving at the end of one World Cup for the next one,” while others “commit funds they don’t have.” Argentine fans had “shown that same commitment to the team and their compatriots at the World Cup in Qatar,” where they were “celebrated for traveling in huge numbers to bring life to an event that sometimes lacked atmosphere.” Fan Jose Serio said that “emotion risks being absent from the forthcoming World Cup if too few Argentine fans are present.” Some regular World Cup attendees have “decided to give up -- in protest as much as out of necessity” (N.Y. TIMES, 5/6).
ALL ABOUT THE MONEY: FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said, “I will always have understanding for fans and their opinions. … There are quite a wide array of ticket prices, and some are cheap, some are more expensive, and it’s also the reality of the market in North America.” When asked if he worries that the prices could tarnish the tournament’s legacy, Grafström said, “The legacy is also what we will be able to do with the money that is generated from this World Cup in 211 countries. This is a true legacy through the Forward Program, in order to really develop the game of football in our member associations, and this will have a true impact.” In Philadelphia, Jonathan Tannenwald writes Grafström’s response was an “indirect reference” to the thing FIFA President Gianni Infantino “cherishes more than anything.” This summer’s World Cup “will put so much cash in FIFA’s coffers that the governing body will close the quadrennial cycle from 2023-26 with a record” $14B in revenue (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 5/6).
