Hot Tickets: Lionel Messi’s Argentina Among Top Draws at 2022 World Cup

Argentina and soccer superstar Lionel Messi appear to be a top draw at the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

With about 80 days to go until the 64-game tournament in Qatar, Argentina’s group game against Mexico on Nov. 26 is the best-selling ticket followed by the two-time World Cup champions’ matchup with Saudi Arabia on Nov. 22, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Al Khater told Qatar News Agency Thursday.

Argentina has won all three World Cup meetings with Mexico (1930, 2006, 2010), including two Round of 16 meetings — a 3-1 victory in 2010 in South Africa and a 2-1 win in extra time in Germany.

This year’s rematch and Argentina’s tilt with Saudi Arabia at the 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium are sold out. Lusail Stadium, which has the largest capacity of any of the eight World Cup 2022 venues, will host ten games including the Dec. 18 final.

Qatar represents another opportunity for one of the giants of the game to re-write his World Cup legacy.
Messi, 34, played in his first of four World Cup round-of-32 tournaments in 2006 and came closest to winning the coveted title in 2014 when Argentina lost to Germany in the final. Messi scored four of his six all-time World Cup goals in that tournament in Brazil before Germany’s extra-time heartbreaker, a stylish volley from Mario Götze.

Here are five things to know about Qatar, host country of the 2022 FIFA World Cup set to take place from November 21-December 18, 2022.

Poland joins Argentina, Mexico and Saudi Arabia in Group C, one of eight groups in the 32-team tournament that kicks off Nov. 20 when the host nation takes on Ecuador.

More than 2.5 million tickets have been sold for World Cup matches with another ticket drop coming in September, FIFA said earlier this month. Qatar, the U.S., England, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, France, Argentina, Brazil and Germany lead in sales by country of residence, according to a statement from FIFA.

During the last sales period, from July 5 to Aug. 16, more than 520,500 tickes were sold, the organization said.

About 2 million World Cup tickets were placed on general sale and 1 million were allocated for FIFA stakeholders, such as member federations, sponsors and broadcasters, plus hospitality programs. More seats typically become available as stakeholders return some of their allocation. Fans whose teams are eliminated also tend to turn in their tickets.

Tickets sales are paused until at least late September, when FIFA will provide an update on the final round of sales.