How was the stadium full of England fans with only a few days notice?

[shaniahoo]

I'm just curious because I know nothing about how you get world cup tickets. I'm wondering, because we only found out a few days ago that we'd be in the semi final but everyone in the audience had an England shirt or Argentina shirt on. Is it:

• they weren't necessarily England or Argentina fans but everyone just picks a side and buys a shirt
• you get your tickets and travel last minute
• you get tickets in advance for the semis and it's just luck that it happens to end up being an England game (but then wouldn't the audience be a random mix of nationalities)?
• you get tickets to be in the host country during these couple of weeks and then if there's an England game you buy a ticket
• something else?

Great questions. I have no idea

43,000 British expats live in Georgia

I can’t help I’m afraid as I asked my husband the same question earlier so hope someone else on here has the answer!

I have often wondered this.
Did fans get a one way ticket- then book returns when they are knocked out?
How can you organise accommodation etc, without knowing first!

I always wondered this too, the logistics of following the world cup and mainly, your team. Do you buy tickets when you know who will be playing? Also, what do you tell you boss if you're in another country and your home team are doing well and you want to see it until the end?

I've always wondered this, too!

You commit to purchasing the matches that your team may be in. Then whichever team gets through takes up the tickets.

what in means in practice is that FIFA hold $millions from the fans and earn interest for months in the run up to the tournament.

43,000 British expats live in Georgia

People calculate which matches their team will
likely be in based on the groups and expected results etc when they buy. Some will resell on if it doesn’t work out. Otherwise pay a lot for resale.

If you are in the England fan club you apply in advance and get tickets if your team is in. If they are knocked out, fifa take 15% before selling to either the other team or for a huge profit. Some England fans were guaranteed tickets for all England games. Some paid over the odds for this game. The flights alone have been horrifically expensive.

I have a friend whose husband bought tickets when they were released for the quarter finals (that was on England’s side of the draw) and got lucky that England got through.

They then looked into getting tickets to the semi finals, because fans whose team didn’t get through (eg Norway) would be selling their tickets, as they would not longer want to go to a game that their team wasn’t in

(As it happens they didn’t go tonight, as although they could actually get tickets, the flight prices shot up and were ridiculously expensive)

Husband got a ticket on the FIFA ticket portal on Sunday morning and flew out on Monday. Many will have done the same in and outside of America (he flew from Bristol, England).

Many out there will have purchased tickets through England supporters travel club and will have been out there since June or after the group stage. These ticket holders will usually have paid a much cheaper price as a reward for their loyalty. My husband used to do this but hasn't been to as many games in the last few years so doesn't have as many caps as he used to.

You'll also have expats, neutrals and people who jump on the success.

American esta (visa) requires you to have a flight booked home.

lots of tickets would have gone on sale after we beat Norway

A mix of all the above. Some will have got them in the original lottery, and if their team don't make it, there are plenty of England (and Argentina) fans willing to buy.

We were lucky enough to go to a couple of group stage games, and there were quite a few Americans wearing England shirts (and the opposition) and they wanted someone to 'root for'.

Quite a few American kids were following England because they are familiar with more of the players as they follow the premier league - or at least that's what we found when chatting to other fans. I'd imagine it would be the same for Argentina and Messi, Norway and Haaland.

There will be a few who have booked a single plane ticket and follow the team everywhere - must cost an absolute fortune. Or just flew out for that match.

Also, plenty of English ex pats in the US.

We happened to be in the US for the quarter final. My husband bought tickets for the semi final direct from FIFA the next day - yes, they were very expensive.

Plenty of people travel out there for the whole tournament and watch loads of games. There’s a massive England Supporters Travel Club through the FA and members get priority for tickets to overseas games based on a sort of loyalty scheme.

My DP used to travel overseas to watch England - not just for the World Cup and the Euros but for qualifiers and friendlies and U21s. Going to those meant he accrued loyalty points to get tickets for big games overseas. He went to several World Cups and Euro Championships. But he also travelled to places like South Africa and Azerbaijan and Macedonia purely to watch friendlies.

Quite expensive but these tickets were at least 'face value' like the one by husband got on Sunday morning too.

Mad how much these tickets were. He did all the games in euro 2024 and 2020 (in 2021) for less than this semi ticket. Crazy money

Can I ask what ‘very expensive’ would be? £100/£500/£1000 a ticket?

Husbands face value ticket was $3600. Tickets were reselling for more than double

2.5k/ ticket. I believe there were cheaper, and more expensive, seats available.

the esta lasts 2 years though, so many might have them already.

Can’t imagine paying that for a football match, plus flights and hotel. I did wonder how families can afford it, when you see children in the crowd

Jesus, imagine paying the guts of four grand to watch your team lose. Crazy when you can watch on TV for free!

My DH and his mates got guaranteed tickets to the England group games in the Visa ballot a year or so ago.

Our friend who lives in America has bought lots of tickets locally - he supports Scotland not England but same principle. He also has tickets to the Final bought with airmiles.

My DH said a third of people in England shirts were American, and generally very well informed supporters.

Another friend who has seats at Wembley had the right to tickets to the England quarter final if England made the quarters, so booked flights and hotel the minute they qualified.

So many, many different routes!