Ticket sales for the this year’s 2017 Fifa Confederations Cup in Russia – the precursor to next year’s Fifa World Cup – continue to stall as organisers admitted that not a single has sold out.
The Confederations Cup, which features eight teams including the hosts, world champions Germany and European champions Portugal, is used as an opportunity to test facilities and systems ahead of the World Cup, which will be held in Russia next year.
With 10 days to go before the start of the tournament, the Local Organising Committee has expressed concern that even host Russia’s three group stage matches and the final have not sold out.
Fifa recently released an additional 1,000 tickets in all categories for the Russia against Portugal fixture, along with 400 tickets in category four for Portugal vs Mexico, Germany vs Chile, Mexico vs Russia and the match for third place, respectively.
The Inside World Football website reported that Fifa and the LOC are hoping that Russians, who tend to buy tickets late, will choose to attend at the last minute.
During the first round of ticket sales, organisers described themselves as “pretty much content” with fan demand as it was announced that around 80,000 tickets were requested during the first round of sales.
However, The Ticketing Business reported in January that just 11,000 of the 82,478 requests were from overseas fans. Chilean fans requested almost 5,000 tickets, meaning fewer than 6,000 came from the rest of the world, including fellow qualifiers Australia, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand and Portugal.
The Local Organising Committee has also bolstered its security ahead of the tournament’s first game in June.
Vladmir Putin, the Russian President, has approved legislation aimed at limiting violence and hooliganism at football games. A bill was put forward following the violent clash between Russian and English fans in Marseille at the Uefa Euro 2016 football competition.
“Citizens who have committed gross legal violations during sporting events, demonstrated racism, set off fireworks, broken furniture, tried to start fights, are under our unwinking, constant stare,” said deputy head of the interior ministry department Anton Gusev. “This also pertains to foreign soccer hooligans.”
Some 191 fans, including 54 spectators involved in a pitch invasion at the Russia Cup final in Sochi, have been blacklisted for the tournament.
In addition, ticket holders are required to apply for a personalised fan ID to ensure all spectators are screened.
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