Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com
Even though there are still several months until the FIFA World Cup, fans around the globe are already feeling the excitement.
With the tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, ticket demand has skyrocketed.
Millions of football fans are looking forward to seeing their favorite teams play live from the stadiums.
In response to this high demand, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has announced the sale of tickets designated by FIFA for fans in Bangladesh.
The World Cup excitement has officially arrived in Bangladesh, as stated in a press release from the BFF on Saturday.
According to FIFA guidelines, the BFF will start distributing and selling tickets to fans in specific categories.
Fans who want to attend World Cup matches live will have five days to submit their applications.
Applications will be open from Sunday (January 18) until January 22, with forms available for Tk 500 (non-refundable) at the BFF House in Motijheel until 4:00pm daily.
Applicants need to provide a photocopy of their passport, a photo, a visiting card, and the original bank deposit slip along with their completed application, with a limit of two tickets per person.
The BFF has received 330 tickets from FIFA, including 162 for group-stage matches.
This allocation features three group matches for football powerhouses Brazil and Argentina.
For the knockout rounds, there are 46 tickets for the round of 32, 44 for the round of 16, 48 for the quarterfinals, and 20 for the semifinals, with only 10 tickets available for the final.
Sky-high ticket prices
Ticket prices have been set using an exchange rate of Tk 125 per US dollar, with an additional five per cent service charge added by the federation.
For group-stage matches — including those involving Brazil, Argentina and England — Category 1 tickets will cost between Tk 78,750 and Tk 119,500. Category 2 tickets are priced from Tk 56,500 to Tk 98,500, while Category 3 tickets range from Tk 28,875 to Tk 44,625.
For round of 32 matches, Category 1 tickets will cost between Tk 69,625 and Tk 103,750. Category 2 tickets are priced between Tk 56,500 and Tk 79,375, and Category 3 tickets between Tk 28,875 and Tk 40,000.
To watch round of 16 matches, Category 1 tickets will cost from Tk 81,375 to Tk 128,625. Category 2 tickets are priced between Tk 67,625 and Tk 103,000, while Category 3 tickets range from Tk 28,875 to Tk 47,875.
Quarterfinal Category 1 tickets will cost between Tk 166,000 and Tk 233,125. Category 2 tickets are priced from Tk 116,875 to Tk 160,125, while Category 3 tickets range from Tk 70,250 to Tk 105,000.
For the semifinals, Category 1 tickets will cost between Tk 399,000 and Tk 432,500. The BFF has not received any Category 2 or Category 3 tickets for the last-four matches.
The Category 1 ticket for the final has been priced at Tk 1,139,250, while Category 2 tickets will cost Tk 731,750. No Category 3 tickets for the final have been allocated to the federation.
Payment and important conditions
Applicants must deposit the full ticket amount into the Bangladesh Football Federation’s account (Account No: 0011301000026653) at UCB Bank’s Motijheel Principal Branch.
The BFF has outlined several strict conditions. The federation’s decision regarding ticket allocation will be final, and the tickets may not be used for commercial purposes or transferred to others. Crucially, the BFF will bear no responsibility for visa-related matters, even if a ticket is issued. Applicants who do not receive tickets will have their deposited money refunded later via bank transfer or account-payee cheque.
– Input from The Daily Star was used in this article.
