Vancouver, Canada – Qatar fans who secured free World Cup tickets through a state-sponsored lottery may be in short supply when the team visits Vancouver for its second Group B match against co-hosts Canada on Thursday.
The Qatar Football Association recently partnered with the government to help fund travel for 1,000 fans from the Middle East to North America for the World Cup, but the team is struggling to find fans in Canada, still offering fully funded tickets.
Fans in Qatar were able to enter a lottery to board flights, and 800 fans had their travel expenses, including hotels, covered, but tickets have become available to many in North America through social media advertising campaigns.
While Qatar had a sizable fan base in San Francisco, the support might be less compared to the co-hosts in Vancouver, with Canadian fans hijacking the tickets through a relatively unguarded process.
To obtain tickets, fans had to register on the Qatar FA website and enter their FIFA ticket account details, but there were no additional checks to prevent fans from entering any nation, allowing them to choose the country of their choice.
One Canadian fan, who asked not to be named, claimed to be an Arab and chose Canada as their country, securing a free ticket without any proof or additional checks.
More than 150 fans who plan to support Canada in Canadian jerseys and colors managed to secure these free tickets, a bargain compared to sky-high prices on the primary and secondary markets.
Lucky fans who secured tickets in Qatar also received Qatari merchandise to wear to the game, but Canadians who secured tickets are expected to attend in full Canadian attire, looking to see their team win their first men’s World Cup match.
The Qatar FA and media representative did not respond for comment in time for publication.
Qatari fans turned out in good numbers for the opening match against Switzerland, but Canadian fans are expected to dominate the stands in Vancouver.
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Qatari fans were seen parading the streets of San Francisco ahead of the opening match against Qatar, but attendance is mandatory in San Francisco hotels, while optional in Santa Clara hotels near Levi’s Stadium.
The ambassador of the State of Qatar to Canada, Tariq Ali Faraj Al Ansari, said the country’s diplomatic mission had secured all the necessary logistical support to support the national team and fans traveling to the Canadian city.
Hundreds of Qatari fans are still expected in the stands for the crucial Group B match, but many seats are up for grabs for Canada, with both teams feeling the pressure to find a win.
Qatari fans attend the second match, but Canadian fans are expected to dominate the stands in Vancouver.
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