Vinay Nayudu
Doha
Big time football carnival will once again return to Qatar with the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2024 which will see continental club sides from across the world compete at world class stadiums for three titles from December 11-18.
The FIFA Derby of the Americas will be played on 11 December, the FIFA Challenger Cup Qatar 2024 on 14 December and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup on 18 December.
The participating teams are:Current UEFA Champions League holder from Spain, Real Madrid CF; Egyptian side and CAF Champions League 2024 winners, Al Ahly SC; Mexican winners of the CONCACAF Champions Cup 2024, C.F Pachuca; The yet to be determined winner of the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores 2024.
The Local Organizing Committee (LOC), at a packed press conference at the Al Bidda Tower on Tuesday, announced Qatar’s readiness to host the final three matches of the prestigious club competition.
Tournament organizers also confirmed tickets will be available from Thursday, 21 November, with Visa card holders receiving exclusive access to a pre-sale period from Thursday, 14 November.
Stadium 974 will host two matches, before the much-anticipated final match at the iconic Lusail Stadium – marking the two-year anniversary of the historic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final. Both venues are fully accessible and will offer a wide range of seating options for disabled fans.
Spectators will be allowed to purchase six tickets per person. An official resale platform will be available at a later stage. Only tickets purchased through the official FIFA ticketing platform will be honoured.
Addressing the media, Hassan Al Kuwari, LOC Marketing, Commercial & Ceremonies Executive Director, said: “Once again Qatar is proud to host some of the world’s best clubs and the biggest stars in football. Hosting the final match at Lusail Stadium on 18 December will be a wonderful way to mark the two-year anniversary of what is regarded as the best edition of the FIFA World Cup, and the best final match to date.
“We look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to experience what will be an electric atmosphere in fantastic world-class venues. As always, fans will be able to enjoy Qatar’s signature hospitality, amazing cultural offerings and incredible infrastructure for what will surely be a memorable and seamless experience,” added Al Kuwari.
Explaining further, Al Kuwari said, The FIFA Derby of the Americas will be held at the 974 Stadium on December 11 between Pachuca of Mexico and the Copa Libertadores champions, which will be determined after the final match between Atletico Mineiro and Botafogo of Brazil.
“The second match will be held at Stadium 974 on December 14 for the FIFA Challenger Cup Qatar 2024 between Al Ahly of Egypt and the winner of the Americas Derby.”
Al Kuwari also stressed that 170,000 tickets for these matches would be available for fans from all over the world.
Tickets for the three matches will be offered through the “FIFA” platform and will be electronic. The maximum purchase is six tickets and prices start from QR40.
The “Hayya” platform also provides fans access and the experience of attending these matches in Qatar.
Given the huge interest a lot of Spanish and Mexican fans are expected to arrive along with Arab fans for these matches.
A representative of Mexican football community, present at the press conference, was keen to know if the fans from Mexico would get language assistance in Spanish or Portuguese since speaking English or Arabic would be a challenge for them.
She was assured by the LOC that fans would be provided all assistance and help in making their experience in Qatar a wonderful one.
Tickets for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2024 are only available on https://www.fifa.com/en/tickets.
