World Cup tickets for $15 as fans snub northern Brazil cities

DateMay 30, 2014 - 5:54PM

Juan Pablo Spinetto and Tariq Panja

World Cup tickets are being listed on the secondary market for as little as $15.48, 89 percent below face value, as soccer fans snub games outside Brazil's southern cities.

The cheapest access to a game on Viagogo is for a ticket to the June 24 game between Greece and Ivory Coast at Fortaleza's Castelao stadium, which has a face value of $135. Tickets to see three-time champion Germany at the same venue in northeastern Brazil are available at 44 per cent below face value.

Construction delays may be affecting the resale market, said Oliver Wheeler, a spokesman in London for Geneva-based ticket exchange Viagogo. The month-long tournament opens in two weeks with Brazil against Croatia in Sao Paulo, one of three stadiums that remain unfinished. A tent will be used at Fortaleza airport during the tournament because a new terminal won't be ready in time.

"Some of the ticket prices have been directly related to the confidence in the infrastructure," Wheeler said.

Brazil's government, which is spending $11 billion on the event, spread matches to 12 locations across the country and most bargains are for games in northern and northeastern cities.

Flooding in the Amazonian city of Manaus this week "has definitely impacted on people's confidence" for games there, Wheeler said. A ticket for the meeting between Honduras and Switzerland on June 25 in Manaus can be purchased for $27.27.

Premium Prices

At the same time, tickets for games in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and for the knockout stages, are being listed above their official prices. The cheapest ticket advertised for the July 13 final at Rio's Maracana stadium is $5,100, more than 10 times its $440 face value.

Wheeler said he expects prices to drop further in the coming days.

"At the very beginning you will always find chancers trying to list their tickets at high prices; as you get closer the true market values become apparent," he said. "These tickets will soften, there's no doubt about that."

Fans buying tickets from resellers may be taking a risk. FIFA said it's the only authorized reseller and doesn't allow ticket holders to charge a premium. The governing body has said it will scrap tickets if it can identify sellers on other platforms.

Viagogo doesn't offer World Cup tickets in countries such as the U.K. and Brazil, where resale is illegal.

Bloomberg


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/fifa-world-cup-2014/world-cup-news-2014/world-cup-tickets-for-15-as-fans-snub-northern-brazil-cities-20140530-zrt9v.html#ixzz33CgqTuPw

I predicted this would happen, the less popular matches would struggle to get sold in Brazil. I don't see any African nation ,Iran, Honduras, Costa Rica having much in the way of supporters, followed by the smaller European nations. Then you have the crazy organisation, you would have thought they would have based the groups in adjoining cities, but you would have to presume the airline companies maybe got the idea they could earn a fortune by making everyone fly around the country and have influenced the world cup organisers to scatter all the matches.
Then finally you have very big population differences and they didn't double up on stadiums in the biggest cities.
FIFA need to have a look at the riots and realise that they need to contain the cost of the world cups.
12 stadiums is too many and Brasilian politicians seem to have used the event as an excuse to cater to various outside interests in construction companies and airlines.

Ist kinda funny that we have not heard anything from the African apologists . If my memorry serves me right two years before the last world Cup , countries Like Australia and England two countries who are well know for "taking things that dont belong to them and killing the People if they refuse to give it to them" were the first to shout and use there nasty press to say South africa will not be ready and they can step in at a Moment s notice , its now less than two weeks to the start of this world Cup and even in Porto elegra where I am right now is no where ready , but what do you know ? We have not heard a wimp from from The australians or the english that they are ready to step in at a moments notice , why is that ? I guess thease countries are only use to stealing from Africans , you know , I gues they were thinking it was easy for us to steal their land kill them and turn them into a minority in their own land and steal their children so stealiing a world cut from them should´nt be that difficult but lets not try it with the Brazillians . this will be by far the worst world Cup ever both in Organisation , infrastructure and security I am allready seeing the signs but the press have been relitavely silent about all the pitfalls that awaits the fans

Wow so much utter garbage in this post.