Aussie football fans hit with shocking prices up to $2000 to see Socceroos face Argentina in Beijing
Aussie soccer fans are hit with shocking prizes to watch the Socceroos take on Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Beijing with average seats for $900 – and it gets much worse from there
- Socceroos will play against Argentina on June 15 in Beijing
- Tickets won’t be cheap, some said to be $2000 each
- Football countries last competed at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
Soccer fans looking to watch the Socceroos against Argentina in China next month will likely pay eye-watering prices for the sporting experience.
Superstar Lionel Messi, midfielder Alexis MacAllister and goalkeeping sensation Emiliano Martínez were all named this week in a stacked La Albiceleste squad ahead of the friendly on June 15 at Workers’ Stadium in Beijing.
But a quick look at the very high prices shows why many Socceroos supporters living in Asia are likely to choose to watch the match from home or a local pub.
According to Chinese sports expert Mark Dreyer, good midway tickets cost as much as $2,000 per person, with average seats around $900 and “nosebleed”-style positions far from the action still close to at least $150-$200.
“These prices are WAY higher than the usual sporting events in China,” Dreyer tweeted.
Football fans who want to see the Socceroos in Beijing against Argentina next month will have to pay eye-watering prices (pictured Lionel Messi after a goal against Australia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar)
Tickets to the newly renovated Beijing Workers’ Stadium won’t come cheap, with a tip of as much as $2,000 per person
‘It [Argentina versus the Socceroos] is priced like a top concert, that has always been expensive here.’
Tickets will officially go on sale from June 1, with organizers confident of a healthy audience regardless of the high prices given Messi’s global reach and the fact that Argentina are the current world champions.
The friendly will also be the first time the two sides have met since their memorable round of 16 World Cup encounter last December at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, as Argentina secured a 2-1 win.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson said that taking on Argentina reflects the status of the Socceroos in world football.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson said taking on Argentina reflects the Socceroos’ current status in world football (pictured, defender Harry Souttar)
Mark Dreyer, an expert on sports in China, revealed his shock at the pricing in a Twitter post
“For Australia to be invited to play this game in China against the world number one is fantastic,” he said.
“It’s been 15 years since our senior men’s national team played in China, and we’re really excited to return to Argentina in Beijing.”
The price shock for the Argentina match comes after Matildas fans complained about the process of buying tickets to watch the team play at the Women’s World Cup.
Supporters complained that FIFA’s ticket allocation procedures pushed fans who entered early by buying tickets in advance, in some cases at a higher cost, into seats further away from the pitch.
Some fans claimed they wouldn’t have bought tickets had they known their opinion could have gotten worse.