Which country will have the most stadium support? This is one that’s not simple to determine.
Although attendance at the Qatar World Cup was expected to be lower than in previous years, 2.9 million of the 3.1 million tickets have been sold. This is up from the 2.5 million sold in 2018 (Russia).
Lower fan turnout was predicted due to several factors, including the shift from the traditional mid-year slot to the northern hemisphere winter; the timing – the event ends just a week before Christmas; high temperatures; strict entry requirements; expensive accommodation costs; human rights issues; alcohol restrictions; and no TV access to matches from hotels and B&Bs, owing to the high charge for broadcasting rights.
So, if you’re not able to watch games other than those for which you have tickets, why not stay at home and watch every single game from your couch?
Despite these challenges – and the interest and excitement levels around the globe being as high as ever – it will be interesting to see if all seats are filled.
While tickets purchased from Fifa give an indication of team support, this is not an accurate barometer; however, the latest available stats indicate the top four ticket buyers are:
- Qatar
Unsurprising, since – apart from the patriotism aspect – they are the host nation and their citizens won’t need to pay for travel and accommodation. Qatar fans have so far purchased around one million tickets, at discounted prices. But which team will they support once their national side has been knocked out in the group stage? There is a large, permanent Argentina supporters club in Qatar, so maybe the South Americans will most enjoy local encouragement.
- Saudi Arabia (and UAE)
Logically, the proximity to Qatar is a bonus for Middle East soccer supporters. Unlike ‘new kid on the block’ Qatar, many of these countries have a long history of football participation. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the United Arab Emirates has a team in the competition, so it’s anyone’s guess who they will cheer for once their neighbour Qatar has been knocked out. It could be that most will be neutral, simply cheering for good football. Alternatively, they could back the underdogs to slightly balance the scales.
- United States
If we take hosts and geography out of the equation, the largest fan support is set to benefit the United States, whose followers have so far bought around 150 000 tickets. This has probably got a lot to do with the buying power of the dollar as much as with the fanaticism of American supporters, who have embraced soccer to the point where major league soccer interest has grown in leaps and bounds, attracting some of the world’s top players.
- England
It’s a short flight from Heathrow to Hamad International Airport in Doha, and ticket purchases indicate that around 100 000 UK supporters will join the queues boarding planes to Qatar, where some 1 300 flights per day are arriving for the World Cup spectacular. English fans are loud, proud and extremely knowledgeable and they will be hoping their enthusiasm rubs off on the Three Lions, who last tasted success in 1966.
