Organizers have announced that Chinese football fans will have to pay as much as $680 for tickets to watch Lionel Messi and the Argentine national team take on Australia in a friendly match in Beijing. The highly anticipated game, scheduled for June 15th at the Workers’ Stadium with a capacity of 68,000, serves as a rematch of Argentina and Australia’s encounter in the Round of 16 during the Qatar World Cup.
In the upcoming friendly match between Argentina and Australia, Lionel Messi, who is expected to depart Paris Saint-Germain this summer, played a crucial role in securing a 2-1 victory for Argentina during their previous encounter. Argentina went on to clinch the World Cup title.
Organizers have announced that tickets for the match will be sold in two batches, with prices ranging from 580 yuan ($82) to 4,800 yuan. The first batch of ticket sales will commence on June 5, followed by the second batch on June 8.
Criticism arose on the official account of the organizers as one Weibo user compared the ticket prices to robbery, expressing dissatisfaction. Another user sarcastically questioned whether Messi would personally carry the spectators on his back for the price of 4,800 yuan.
This event marks Messi’s first visit to China since 2017. To combat ticket scalping, stringent measures have been implemented, including the requirement for spectators to provide identification information and present ID cards or passports for entry into the stadium.
However, opportunistic sellers on China’s Taobao shopping platform wasted no time in offering ticket booking services, with one merchant even charging a staggering 18,000 yuan for access to purported VIP seats.
After Beijing abruptly lifted strict virus restrictions late last year, international sports events are gradually making a comeback in China.
