Brazil match: Steep ticket prices, event managers lined up for 3rd October

The Brazil-India friendly on 3 October in Kolkata could be a historic occasion for the football-loving city, but it is also set to burn a deep hole in fans’ pockets. Online tickets, which will go on sale via ticketing partner District by Zomato this weekend, are expected to range from Rs 6,000–7,000 to Rs 25,000 for premium seats.

“There will, however, be some cheaper tickets, priced at around Rs 2,000, for the upper tier. The AIFF finalised the deal with the ticketing partner only on Wednesday and handed over the event management responsibility to DNA Entertainment Networks Private Limited, one of the biggest players in the industry, to ensure that everything is in order and there is no repeat of the Messi fiasco,” well-placed sources revealed.

The Bengaluru-based DNA has handled the opening and closing ceremonies of the T20 World Cup in India, the IOC Congress in Mumbai, and marquee global music acts such as The Rolling Stones, Metallica, Beyoncé, Shakira and Iron Maiden in India. A 45-minute entertainment package will also be part of the evening, with kick-off for the friendly expected at 7 pm.

Speculation is rife over the composition of the Brazil squad, which will first play two friendlies in Australia before travelling to Kolkata, and whether the likes of Vinicius Jr will be part of the squad. The CBF is expected to announce the touring squad by the first week of September. Interestingly, the idea of a Brazil game found a surprise backer in Antonio López Habas, the veteran Spanish coach of East Bengal, whose team won the Durand Cup on Sunday.

At a time when India’s football fraternity is divided over the expensive decision to invite Brazil instead of playing in the ASEAN Cup, Habas told The Telegraph: “I think playing against Brazil is a very good idea from a sporting perspective. During all the years I have been in India, there has been a tendency to look for opponents of a similar or lower international level. I think that is a big mistake.”

While all stakeholders are keeping their fingers crossed that Brazil’s brand name will help them attract sponsors, the AIFF is also pursuing efforts to line up a third opponent for India, in addition to Panama on September 26 and Brazil on 3 October.

“The possibility of Cape Verde playing India in Kolkata on October 6 has not yet been ruled out. Talks are still ongoing with Cape Verde, Uruguay and Congo — all three of whom featured in the last World Cup — and one of them will be coming to Kolkata for the game,” sources revealed.

The Blue Tigers are also scheduled to play New Zealand on 12 and 15 November, respectively, in Auckland and Christchurch, during the next FIFA window. However, those matches are part of a sporting collaboration between the two governments.

“The advantage of playing against higher-ranked opponents is that even a draw will help us leapfrog by quite a few spots, whereas the gain will be marginal even if you do well against ASEAN countries,” they added.