Tickets for Argentina’s first match since winning the World Cup were sold out as more than 1,500,000 people tried to buy them despite high prices in a country battling rising inflation.
The match between Argentina and Panama will be played on March 23 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, the country’s largest stadium with a capacity of 83,000 spectators.
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Ticket prices, ranging from 12,000 to 49,000 Argentine pesos ($59 to $241), didn’t deter demand, with a virtual queue of 1,550,000 people.
The desire to see Lionel Messi’s side also spread to local and international press, with Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia stating that the game had generated “the highest media demand in history”, with over 131,000 recognition requests.
“We would love to be able to cater to all of them, but we would need two rivers [Monumental] Stadium, for journalists only. The madness is absolute for Argentina, Tapia said on Twitter.
The friendly will be Argentina’s first match in front of fans since winning the title for the first time in 36 years by defeating France on penalties in last year’s World Cup final in Qatar and there will be massive celebrations across the country.
Argentina will also host Curaçao on March 28 in Santiago del Estero province in front of 30,000 fans.