Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky draws out the card of New Zealand. Photo / Getty Image
Fans wanting to follow the All Whites’ journey at next year’s Fifa World Cup can expect to pay upwards of $25,000, with the quest to secure tickets and accommodation underway.
Matt Fejos, group founder of the Flying Kiwis FC supporters group, told Weekend Sport’s Jason Pine that prices for accommodation have been hiked since the World Cup draw confirmed which cities will host which teams, with fans expecting to spend almost $5000 more than they expected earlier in the year.
And that’s if they can secure tickets for the three group matches as the All Whites return to the World Cup for the third time and first since 2010.
There are two main options for Kiwis to get tickets – through the Fifa.com general ballot or New Zealand Football’s own Football Whānau Priority Pass, for which registration closed over the weekend.
The Football Whānau Priority Pass does not guarantee tickets, but is the best chance of getting tickets to All Whites matches at a fixed price, seated in the allocated fan-specific area.
That’s because New Zealand Football gets 8% allocation of tickets for any All Whites game. The side open Group G against Iran at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which has a listed capacity of 70,000, which could increase. That would mean at least 5600 available for New Zealand supporters, sitting in the same area. Their final two group games against Egypt and Belgium are played at BC Place in Vancouver, which holds 54,000, which is around 4320 tickets.
Fejos told Pine that Kiwis have a better chance of getting tickets compared to larger footballing nations.
“That’s a good chance because we’re a small country that we still get the same 8% that England do. But England have a big travel club of fans that go and watch all the games in between and earn points to get there,” Fejos said.
Through that portal, New Zealand fans can buy tickets for between US$140 ($240) to $450 ($775) for the opening two matches and US$180 ($310) to $500 ($861) for the third group match, since Belgium are a top band opponent.
Supporters can pay between US$235 ($405) up to US$610 ($1051) should the All Whites make the round of 32.
But now the registration has closed, the only other option for now is getting tickets through the Fifa.com ballot which opened last week and reportedly had more than five million people register interest within the first 24 hours. The application window to select tickets for matches of your choice runs until January 13 after which a lottery will decide who is successful.
But for New Zealanders that would mean they wouldn’t be sitting with the main block of All Whites supporters.
Another phase will take place when people can release tickets under Fifa’s third-party re-sale platform, though there is no price limit for tickets so expect to pay more than the original price.
Fejos said costs have skyrocketed for accommodation in Vancouver around the dates New Zealand play their two games – and fans have had to commit to locking in places without having tickets secured.
“It’s the world we live in, but on some level it’s not right to just ... put the prices up so much that it tests people or to get the maximum price for something of value and to exploit it to the nth degree is tough.
“Fifa are part of this from the start. So, the control of the major hotel chains in the host cities, Fifa are in from the start controlling that supply. A lot of them are locked up in big travel companies overseas that then, like we were, getting quotes earlier on in the year for $400 US a night, which is obviously ridiculous.
“But now when you look more into it, it almost seems cheaper. I think that’s people having to buy in before they know where their team is playing and buying blindly because these big companies have access to all 16 cities. So, now you can pay even more if you want to.”
Fejos added that fans would need to pay around $25,000 per person to cover the entire trip.
“Twenty-five thousand dollar almost seems cheap now for the total budget. Again, when we’re looking at it early on in the year. That’s probably without international flights. It was early on in the year when we’re speaking to people that are selling these things.”