One million fans try to buy England vs. Brazil U-17 tickets
Fifa apologises after semi-final venue switch for World Cup clash in India
More than a million fans tried to buy tickets for tomorrow’s U-17 World Cup semi-final clash between England and Brazil in India, Fifa said today.
Torrential rain and a waterlogged pitch meant the match was switched from Guwahati to Kolkata. As a result, 66,000 tickets were put back on sale via the Fifa ticketing website.
Fifa confirmed to the Daily Mail that a million people tried to buy tickets when they went on sale yesterday. More than 100,000 were left waiting in an online queue.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“Following the decision to reschedule the semi-final... the logistical challenges were numerous," it said. “From the moment tickets were put on sale at 20.30 IST until today, more than one million people tried to access the ticketing portal of the service provider.”
“Tickets for the match have now sold out and both FIFA and the LOC are incredibly grateful to every single fan who tried, successfully or not, to purchase a ticket. Collectively, we are very sorry that a number of fans... experienced technical difficulties, a huge queue, and in some cases, a deduction of monies without confirmation or ticket.
“Throughout the build-up to this tournament, and during, we have been overwhelmed by the positive response to this first FIFA tournament hosted in India.”
Fifa also said it was a “big regret” that they were unable to supply tickets to each of the million-plus fans keen to attend tomorrow’s match.
England progressed to the final four after a 4-1 victory over the US in the quarter-finals.
How to watch the England vs. Brazil semi-final on TV
The England vs. Brazil semi-final in Kolkata kicks-off at 12.30pm (UK time) tomorrow and is live on Eurosport. The winners will face Spain or Mali in the final on Saturday.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'The House GOP is begging to lose their majority'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Pig kidney transplant recipient dies
Speed Read Richard Slayman has passed away two months after undergoing the historic procedure
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Putin replaces defense minister with economist
Speed Read In a surprising shake-up, Putin replaced Sergei Shoigu with civilian economist Andrei Belousov
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The England kit: a furore over the flag
Why everyone's talking about Nike's redesign of the St George's Cross on the collar of the English national team's shirt has caused controversy
By The Week UK Published
-
Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup: glitz, glamour and 'grimly inevitable'
Talking Point Critics claim country is guilty of sportswashing as it stands unopposed to host tournament
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Lionesses will have regrets but their legacy can be ‘incredible’
feature England stars return home after heartbreaking Women’s World Cup final loss to Spain
By Mike Starling Published
-
How English women’s football could become a billion pound industry
feature Building on the success of the Lionesses won’t be easy but it is eminently possible
By The Week Staff Published
-
Lionesses dig deep after Lauren James’s ‘Beckham-esque’ red card
feature England reach the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals after a 4-2 win on penalties against Nigeria
By Mike Starling Published
-
Curse of the Lionesses: what’s causing spate of England women’s football injuries?
Under the Radar Several key players are out of the World Cup, raising concerns about hectic schedules, sub-par pitches and sexism
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
‘Captain fantastic’: Harry Kane’s most memorable England goals
feature Kane has overtaken Wayne Rooney as the Three Lions’s all-time leading goalscorer
By Mike Starling Published
-
Fifa World Cup 2026 expansion: for the global game or for Fifa’s greed?
Talking Point The men’s tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the USA will have a record 104 matches
By Mike Starling Published