February 26 – Tickets for the newly created Qatar Football Festival go on sale this evening at 9pm Doha time, with organisers banking on the draw of a high-end international lineup – and a headline clash between Spain and Argentina – to fill stadiums once again.
The six-match mini-tournament, running from 26-31 March, is centred around the Finalissima which will take place at the 80,000-seater Lusail Stadium on 27 March.
The fixture will bring together reigning European champions Spain and South American champions Argentina, returning the latter to the stadium where they lifted the 2022 World Cup draped in Qatari bishts.
With Lionel Messi expected to feature against Spain’s prodigy Lamine Yamal for the first time, the match is being marketed as a generational handover between Barcelona’s past and present.
Ticket prices reflect that premium billing, ranging from accessibility tickets at QAR 200 ($53 USD) to premium seats at QAR 1200 ($319 USD).
The wider festival programme includes Egypt v Saudi Arabia at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium and Qatar v Serbia at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on 26 March, followed by Egypt v Spain and Saudi Arabia v Serbia on 30 March, before Qatar face Argentina on 31 March back at Lusail.
Prices outside the Finalissima are more varied, with Category 3 tickets for several matches available at a reasonable QAR 50 ($13.33 USD) price point – a clear attempt to ensure broader access beyond just the marquee fixture.
Fans will be able to purchase up to four tickets per match via the official Road to Qatar platform, with all tickets issued digitally through the event app. Organisers have stressed that tickets are non-refundable and that resale purchases risk cancellation.
Beyond the football, the festival is positioned as another demonstration of Qatar’s post-World Cup event strategy: condensed, high-profile international sport staged across infrastructure already in place and linked by the recently-constructed Doha Metro network.
The question is less about delivery – which has always been a proven strength in Qatar – and more about appetite for yet another competition hosted in the Middle East, though the prospect of witnessing the likes of Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi on the same pitch will see the Finalissima likely sell itself.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1772102543labto1772102543ofdlr1772102543owedi1772102543sni@g1772102543niwe.1772102543yrrah1772102543
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