Where to buy World Cup 2022 tickets: How to get a seat at FIFA matches in Qatar
The countdown is almost over.
It’s been 12 years since Qatar received hosting rights, but the 2022 World Cup is just around the corner.
FIFA’s decision to host the tournament in the Middle East nation breaks new ground and there has been a predictable rush of fans to attend the historic staging of football’s international showpiece, which begins on November 20th.
Thousands of fans are expected to descend on the tiny country for the finals, although the move to a November-December window has presented many logistical challenges. Those who travel will go through a complex process to follow their team in Qatar.
Predictably, one of the big question marks surrounding the event was ticket sales. Here we look at all the information.
MORE: Exploring Qatar, host of the 2022 World Cup
How do I get tickets for the Qatar 2022 World Cup?
Limited World Cup tickets are still available for fans through the FIFA ticketing portal, with the governing body standing ready to keep sales going until the tournament kicks off.
FIFA sold an estimated 1.8 million tickets in the first sales window in early 2022, with further sales activated in July and August. The remaining tickets were made available on a first-come, first-served basis, with high demand expected.
Where to buy tickets for the Qatar 2022 World Cup?
According to FIFA, their ticketing portal is the only guaranteed place to buy Qatar 2022 game tickets.
The world governing body has consistently told fans to only buy tickets through their official channels and has issued stern warnings about the dangers of buying through unlicensed sellers and social media channels.
Qatari authorities have also announced their own crackdown, with the country’s Justice Ministry tweeting in July that anyone involved in illegally selling World Cup tickets could face a fine of 250,000 Qatari riyals ($69,000).
Fans wishing to resell purchased tickets will need to do so through FIFA’s official resale platform, which is expected to be open for an extended period in the weeks leading up to the tournament.
FIFA Hayya Card (Fan ID) for World Cup 2022
FIFA has also confirmed that all fans must go through an additional step in the process to be able to attend a match of the tournament.
In addition to their game ticket, they must also register for a “Hayya (Fan ID) Card” before attending a game.
A valid Hayya card is required in addition to a valid match ticket to access all stadiums in Qatar.
How much do World Cup tickets cost?
Four categories of tickets were made available to fans wishing to attend the World Cup in Qatar, as well as special tickets for people with disabilities and reduced mobility.
Category 1 is the most expensive and is located in prime areas within the stadium.
Category 2 and Category 3 are seating areas within the stadium that offer a less premium view of the action.
Category 4 is a seating area within the stadium reserved exclusively for residents of Qatar.
All tickets will be sold to both Qatari residents and international fans in Qatari riyals, with prices ranging from 40 riyals ($11) to 5,850 riyals ($1,607).
Ticket categories and prices for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
The sale of the random drawing begins today at 13:00 local Doha time pic.twitter.com/tksZBXaEHs
— Qatar Football Live (@QFootLive) January 19, 2022
Cheapest and most expensive World Cup tickets
Of course, given the variety of categories and games available, there are big differences between the cheapest and most expensive tickets on offer to fans.
While tickets for the opening match of the Group A hosts’ clash against Ecuador sold for 200 riyals ($55) at the cheaper end, it was 2,250 riyals ($618) for Cat. 1, other group games range from 40 riyals ($11) to 800 riyals ($220).
Round of 16 matches cost from 70 riyals ($19) to 1,000 riyals ($275), quarterfinals from 300 to 1,550 ($82.5 – 426) and semifinals from 500 to 3,480 ($137 – 956).
Predictably, it’s the final that fans will pay the highest price for, with the cheapest seats selling for 750 riyals (US$206), all the way up to the premium cat. 1 seats for 5,850 ($1,607).
How many tickets have been sold for Qatar 2022?
According to official data from FIFA, Qatar 2022 ticket sales reached over 2.45 million by August 2022.
That figure included 520,532 copies sold between July and August, with the final figure expected to exceed 2.8 million before the tournament begins.