Rich Fans Only: South Americans Grumble Over Cost To Watch Football

Bogotá, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Oct, 2023) In football-mad South America, where love for the game transcends social class, watching stars like Lionel Messi play has become inaccessible to most as ticket prices hit the roof.

During the September qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup, ardent fans across the continent grumbled over the cost of seeing their favorite team play.

"In my case it is impossible" to afford a ticket. "One can't enjoy it," said Pablo Gonzalez, 49, a maintenance worker at a university in the Colombian town of Barranquilla, where his country will play Uruguay on Thursday.

The average ticket price for the match is $102, in a country where the minimum monthly wage is $270.

According to an AFP tally the tickets are the second highest in the region for the qualifiers.

In Argentina, victors of the 2022 World Cup, fans hoping to see Messi in action were left disappointed after the football federation set ticket prices for Thursday's match against Paraguay at an average of $120.

The country is battling annual inflation of 120 percent and poverty levels of 40 percent.

Argentina's football federation has introduced a subscription program giving preferential access to match tickets. The "Gold" category costs $14,000 for a three-year pass with a slew of benefits.