World Cup fever grips football fans in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Football fans in the Kingdom have been well and truly gripped by World Cup fever. Ticket sales for the 2022 tournament in Qatar are close to hitting the three million mark, and Saudi Arabia is the third-highest purchasing nation.

Tournament chiefs revealed the figures on Monday with just over a month to go until the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al-Khor on Nov. 20.

Close to 2.9 million tickets have been sold so far, with the host nation and the US the top two buyers, the tournament’s chief operating officer Colin Smith said. Gianni Infantino, president of world football’s governing body FIFA, said 240,000 hospitality packages had been sold.

The Kingdom’s proximity to Qatar means this World Cup is the most accessible yet for fans of the national team, and for expatriates whose home nations have qualified for the finals.

The tournament will also boost Saudi tourism. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched an online service that enables holders of the Hayya fan card for the World Cup to obtain a visa to enter the Kingdom free of charge.

The Hayya card is a World Cup essential. Fans will need one to enter Qatar and attend matches, and it provides visitors with free access to public transport during the tournament. 

Qatar 2022 will be Saudi Arabia’s sixth World Cup, the last being four years ago in Russia. Coach Herve Renard’s provisional 32-man tournament squad left Riyadh on Monday for Abu Dhabi, where their training camp will run until No. 10.

The Green Falcons will play friendly matches in the UAE against North Macedonia, Albania, Honduras, Iceland and Panama, after which the final 26-man official squad will fly out to Doha.

Saudi Arabia will face Argentina, Mexico