World Cup tickets are being offered for free for the first time, as fears of half-empty stadiums have spooked football bosses. Saudi Arabia's equivalent of the FA announced it would hand out complimentary tickets to their supporters in the United States, instead of forcing them to pay upwards of £500 for a seat, as exclusively reported by The Sun.
Strategy Mirrors Club World Cup
This strategy mirrors last summer's Club World Cup, where FIFA was forced to offer tickets for free to fill grounds. The move comes amid US states taking FIFA to court over its failure to deliver the much-touted economic benefits of this summer's 48-nation football bonanza.
Official Announcement
Announcing the scheme on Thursday, the oil state's US Embassy declared: "The countdown begins for the FIFA World Cup! On this occasion, Saudi Arabia is offering free tickets for Saudi National Team fans present in the US. We wish our national team the best of luck as it represents the Kingdom with pride, passion, and the full force of a nation behind them."
Saudi Arabia fans can get one free ticket each if they have travelled to the US for the tournament. The country's fan group even declared: "Attendance is on you, and the ticket is on us."
Team Performance and Incentives
The Saudis are ranked 61st in the world and are unlikely to progress beyond the group stage this year. The scheme is meant to incentivise fans to take a 13-hour flight from the Middle East to watch their team play Cape Verde, Uruguay and Spain in Group H.
The Sun on Sunday understands that FIFA gave their blessing to the scheme as it will make stadiums appear more full. But a source said: "The World Cup is the most prestigious sporting event on the planet — how sad that they can't even give away tickets."
Ticket Prices and Empty Seats
Tickets for Saudi Arabia's games are still being offered for as much as $3,000 (£2,230), but there are thousands of empty seats remaining. The Sun told on Friday how lawyers had accused FIFA of pushing up World Cup ticket prices by limiting supplies and switching categories.
Legal Challenges
Three state Attorney Generals have launched legal bids into FIFA. And the US Congress has also raised concerns about "potentially deceptive practices". Experts believe FIFA will have no choice but to slash prices in the days before the tournament begins, to avoid the embarrassment of empty seats.
Possible Domino Effect
It means more nations could end up offering tickets for free, especially those which do not have thousands of travelling fans. US president Donald Trump recently revealed he would not pay for tickets at FIFA's current prices.
This story was originally published by The Sun and reproduced with permission.
