At the start of this month, it would have cost $689 to secure a seat for Thursday's Canada-Qatar World Cup match. But after Les Rouges' opening game against Bosnia-Herzegovina, prices jumped by $100. As of Wednesday morning, with resale stock on StubHub dwindling to just 137 pairs, the cheapest ticket was $916 in the upper deck. Lower bowl seats were available for $1,141 but disappearing quickly. Comparatively, USA fans in Seattle face even steeper prices, with tickets starting at $2,000 USD for their Friday game.
Hype and Hope Drive Demand
The World Cup excitement has overcome initial reluctance about high ticket prices. Vancouver-born Canada defender Alistair Johnston noted the shift in fan culture. "It's gotten different, but it's a great thing to see," he said. "It's the growth of the game in this country. Kids are coming up now saying, 'hey, you're my favourite player.'" Left back Richie Laryea emphasized the importance of the match for Canada's soccer future. "We want to make this country a footballing country," he said. "You could use the word pressure; I think we would use the word ready."
Ronaldo and Messi: A Tale of Two Legacies
Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, has never scored in a World Cup knockout round, with all eight of his goals coming in group stages. He holds the record for most goals in men's World Cup qualifying (41) and has 973 career goals. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, turning 39, scored his first World Cup hat trick on Tuesday, tying Miroslav Klose for most all-time World Cup goals (16). Messi downplayed the achievement, calling it "statistics and nothing more." France's Kylian Mbappé praised him, saying, "He is the King, the best." Surprisingly, Ronaldo agreed, telling TyC Sports, "Every time Messi steps onto the pitch, everything else becomes historic and elegant. It's time for the world to accept that he is the best player of all time."
US Team Embraces New Mentality
Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, called up for his first World Cup with the US men's national team, credited manager Mauricio Pochettino for instilling a tough mindset. "One is that we're American: We don't take s—," Berhalter said. "He showed us Americans what we're about." The US faces Australia on Friday in Seattle.
