European fans will attend the upcoming World Cup in Qatar in far lower numbers than previous tournaments.
The Athletic contacted each UEFA nation to have qualified for the World Cup, asking them how many fans had booked tickets through them, and how this compared to four years ago.
Fabien Bonnel, founder of the main French supporter group ‘Irresistibles Francais’, stated in September that their travelling party would only be one-sixth of their size in Russia.
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The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy expected around 1.3 millions fans to visit over the entire duration of the tournament — just under half the country’s normal population.
However, of the eight countries who responded with specific details, seven reported that fewer fans were set to attend.
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The only outlier was England, with the FA receiving a similar number of ticket applications to previous tournaments.
The England Supporters Travel Club — numbering 20,000 members in total — has seen around 3,000 members apply for each group stage game, as well as 4,772 for the final.
England’s final group stage match against Wales, which takes place at the smaller Al Rayyan Stadium, is the only game to be oversubscribed.
One nation known for bringing colour and vibrancy to major tournaments are the Netherlands, who failed to qualify in 2018. Their fans — known as the oranjegekte (orange craze) — will only number 60 per cent of their typical size.
Having had 5,000 applications for each group stage game in Brazil in 2014, the Dutch FA told The Athletic that they had only received 3,000 applications for each game in Qatar, despite receiving a similar allocation of tickets. The association blamed the difference on cost, the Sinterklaas holiday on December 5, and on children being at school.
Poland, Croatia, Switzerland, and Belgium have also all noticed lower interest than for previous tournaments, with the Polish FA also citing the cost. The Swiss FA reported that there have only been 5,000 applications for all three group stage matches combined, “far fewer” than they received in Russia.
Wales, though their first World Cup since 1958, have still seen lower demand than for the 2016 European Championships, a more useful reference than Euro 2020, which was affected by COVID-19.
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Several reasons are thought to be behind the discrepancy. One is cost, with flights, accommodation, and the general cost of living all high in Qatar. In addition, many European countries have seen domestic prices rise this year, further stretching finances.
Entry to the country is also more stringent than for previous tournaments, with all visitors requiring a Hayya card, which is needed to book accommodation.
Concerns have been raised over the quantity and quality of accommodation available, though the Supreme Committee insist that preparations remain on track.
Qatar has also been criticised over its human rights record, which may have dissuaded some supporters from attending. Several corporations, including Hummel, have said they will not send representatives. Homosexuality is illegal, while migrant worker rights and the risks of reporting sexual violence have also been raised.
COVID-19 has also been listed as a factor, with fans required to download the government’s Ehteraz phone app, which tracks their movements and health status.
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