World Cup Ticket Sales Near 3M, Residents Kicked Out of Homes

Qatar is nearing its own population in World Cup ticket sales.

The host nation — whose population was roughly 3 million as of Oct. 14 — has sold 2.9 million tickets, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Monday. 

• Around 7% of total stadium capacity remains unsold for the 32-team, 64-game tournament.
• Additional tickets will be released before the tournament kicks off on Nov. 20.
• The countries driving ticket sales are Qatar, the United States, Saudi Arabia, England, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, France, Brazil, and Germany

Qatari officials said that between 1.5 million–1.7 million people had applied for the mandatory pass, which functions as a visa, match ticket, transport ticket, and allows for fan zone access. 

The country expects more than 1 million foreign visitors and hundreds of thousands of domestic fans to attend the tournament.

Citizens Booted from Homes

The demand for accommodations has caused a huge spike in prices, and landlords are pushing renters out to cash in on the surge. 

One foreign resident said that she was given a week to leave her apartment, moved to a hotel, and then to a temporary apartment. Similar apartments might typically rent for $2,500 per month but are going for $1,700 per night with a minimum 14-night stay.