Kolkata: Kolkata’s football-crazy fans have responded with overwhelming enthusiasm to the much-anticipated India-Brazil friendly next month, with the lower-priced tickets for the once-in-a-lifetime encounter selling out within an hour of going online Wednesday.
India will take on five-time world champions Brazil October 3, with football fever already reaching a crescendo in the city, renowned for its passionate following of the sport and the Brazil national team.
Ticket prices range from Rs 999 to Rs 15,000. While the exact number of tickets made available on Wednesday could not be ascertained, the lower-priced slabs were snapped up within an hour of the online window opening on District in for the match at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK).
The tickets are priced at Rs 999, Rs 2,000, Rs 2,500, Rs 3,500, Rs 4,500, Rs 6,000, Rs 7,000, Rs 9,000 and Rs 15,000 for VIP seats.
The VYBK has a seating capacity of around 67,000, with 70 per cent of the seats expected to be put on sale.
The Indian side will also face Panama and two-time world champions Uruguay in a high-profile friendly series.
India will host Panama September 26 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru before travelling to Kolkata to take on Brazil and then Uruguay October 6.
Tickets for the Brazil match were put on sale online, with no counter sales. This time, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) will not issue physical tickets, with all passes being provided in digital format, as was done during the FIFA World Cup.
India coach Khalid Jamil has already named a 26-member squad for the FIFA friendlies, with the national camp scheduled to begin in Bengaluru September 14. The team will travel to Kolkata September 28, two days after the Panama game.
Jamil has described the prospect of playing Brazil and Uruguay at home as a dream come true, saying the matches could prove to be a turning point in Indian football and provide valuable preparation for next year’s crucial Asian Cup qualifiers.
All three opponents featured at the FIFA World Cup earlier this year, giving India a stern test against higher-ranked opposition as Jamil looks to assess his squad ahead of a demanding international calendar.
A Brazilian delegation visited the stadium recently to inspect the venue and its infrastructure and get a first-hand look at the arrangements for the international friendly.
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