Messi And Ronaldo Could Play Qatar Final, Yet Top Tickets Will Be Cheaper Than Federer’s Last Dance

The World Cup final. It needs no introduction, but fans don’t know what they will get: spectacular goals, team meltdowns, red cards, all of those, a climax, or an anti-climax. That, among other factors, affects how much the best tickets will cost for the main event at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar on December 18, concluding 64 games and 32 participating teams packed into the tiny Gulf nation for a month.

Traveling supporters unsure whether their team makes it there, the type of follower able to afford such a spectacle, and the accumulated costs of watching it all live each play a part in ticket demand and pricing ahead of the showpiece fixture. Another component has been widespread critique over the tournament’s location and timing. In stature, it doesn’t come greater, however.

Should Messi, Ronaldo, or both, reach the final, it will be an event like no other, as this is almost certainly their last World Cup and one that could define their legacies. That’s especially true for people who relentlessly debate the age-old, futile question regarding who is better. Similarly, there is a sense this could be the moment Neymar—yet to reach full throttle—comes alive and wins it for Brazil. Equally, Kylian Mbappé would become a bona fide France legend if he propels Les Bleus to consecutive titles two days before he turns 24.

But despite these tantalizing possibilities, this is not an event that trumps everything. Just ask those who shelled out to see another great—from another sport—earlier this year: a now-retired Roger Federer in his swansong at the tennis Laver Cup in London, England. For an exhibition that was, in essence, centered around a mercurial talent’s flair rather than a team, there was a different kind of clamor—one where people knew what they were getting exactly.

The most expensive ticket to see Federer came in at roughly €17,500 ($18,500), which comfortably exceeds the highest sums forecast for the Qatar finale, which are just shy of the €7,000 ($7,400) mark, according to the U.K.-based sports ticketing hospitality company Vision4Sport.

These figures don’t mean much in isolation, but they suggest that soccer’s status as a monied, globalized sport doesn’t always translate to unrivaled prices for a show like the World Cup. And this one, in particular—a strange winter edition for most.

“We’ve seen uncertainty around the host country, uncertainty around the cost of living at home and what you’re going to be able to do when you’re there, leading to a dramatic dip in demand,” says Chris Newbold, the director at Vision4Sport, which supplies high-end experiences for a range of sports.

“It’s almost like the stock market when people leave it so late to book tickets. In the immediate aftermath of the semifinals, for 24 to 36 hours, that price for the final will hit up to £6,000. Those sums could tail off, as people realize that probably isn’t good value for money at the moment.”

Of course, this assessment is U.K.-focused, whereas this is a global event. It occurs amid economic trouble in the U.K. and much of Europe but bites hard for other arrivals in Qatar, too.

Overall the World Cup has been reasonably well-attended, with near-full stadiums hovering around 94% capacity during the opening fixtures. Viewers have witnessed unpredictable games and at least one goal from every competing country.

Across the board, elite events still do the talking and don’t come cheap, although the market is not necessarily booming in all departments within the industry—where wealth and corporate clients have a strong presence.

“One area that may feel a squeeze is entry-level hospitality that involves a meal and a ticket for a game at events like Premier League soccer,” Newbold adds, looking at U.K. events as an example.

“Packages costing hundreds, not thousands, are often bought by small businesses and relatively normal consumers using them to celebrate special occasions or for marketing purposes. With disposable incomes and business budgets pressurized, these packages may be subject to less demand in 2023.”

To many, the beautiful game is the best on Earth. Its appeal at this World Cup is a little more complicated.