Football fans in Doha have spent the days since the Fifa World Cup quarter-finals searching for last-minute tickets for this week's semi-finals, with some being sold on the secondary market for as much as Dh6,000 ($1,600).
The search for tickets comes as only four matches remain in the 64-match tournament.
Croatia v Argentina on Tuesday night and France v Morocco on Wednesday will be followed by the third-place play-off on Saturday and the final on Sunday.
With Morocco the first African and Arab country to reach a World Cup semi-final, the search is ever more desperate for some. Tickets for Wednesday night are going for between Dh3,000 and Dh6,000, some fans have said.
I will keep searching around asking people, as I can’t afford to pay a large sum of money
Dario Gonzalo,
Argentina fan
At Fifa’s official ticketing centre in central Doha on Monday, security guards and employees told dozens of fans that no tickets were available.
A guard outside the office told The National there had been “many people coming in the last two days asking for match tickets”.
"The centre hasn't offered any match tickets for the last two weeks but people still pouring into the centre," the security guard said.
It has become commonplace to see fans walking around the stadiums before matches with a note handwritten on a piece of cardboard saying: “I need a ticket.”
Dario Gonzalo, a 30-year-old Argentina fan, arrived at the centre on Monday hopeful of picking up a ticket for Tuesday's game.
“I couldn’t get a match ticket yet and the one in the market is about Dh2,800. They told me here in the ticketing centre that there are no tickets,” said Mr Gonzalo.
He was at the Argentina v Netherlands quarter-final and decided to stay on in Doha, despite not having a ticket for the semi-final against Croatia.
“I will keep searching around asking people, as I can’t afford to pay a large sum of money,” he said
Football fans from nations other than the four left in the competition were also in search of tickets.
“I know Brazil left the tournament but I want to enjoy the semi-final match between Morocco and France," said Lucas Miguel from Brazil.
"I have been searching for a match ticket with a reasonable price but things aren’t promising yet.
“The centre told me there are no tickets. It cost Dh3,000 minimum for France v Morocco which is being sold by a secondary market.”
Paul Liew, a 51-year-old Malaysian fan who travelled from Kuala Lumpur to Doha with his wife to watch the quarter-final match between Argentina and the Netherlands, was searching for tickets for Tuesday and the final on Sunday.
“I have a ticket for Argentina v Croatia match but was looking if there were any more tickets for the final match or France v Morocco. It is my second World Cup after 2018,” Mr Liew said.
“I bought the ticket a while ago through the Fifa website. I waited for four hours in the online queue to get the ticket. As a big fan of Argentina, I might buy the final match ticket if they qualify.”
With fans allowed to enter Qatar without a ticket, many have travelled in the hope of getting one in Doha.
Dubai resident Hicham Hansali, 48, flew to Qatar for the World Cup's opening stages and has stayed on since, following Morocco's incredible run to the semi-final.
He told The National that many fellow Moroccans have been calling him asking if he can get a ticket for Wednesday's match.
“I have a ticket for the Morocco match on Wednesday against France but many people are contacting me for tickets. A lot of Moroccan people arrived but without tickets,” Mr Hansali said.
Argentina fan Hassan Ali, 31, said he had visited the centre every day in the slim hope of being able to obtain a match ticket.
“I’m from Oman but I'm in love with Argentina. I spent hours on Fifa's online platform looking for tickets being resold by other fans but found nothing,” Mr Ali said.
"It must be that people choose to sell them outside the platform because they will make more profit."
Before the tournament started, tickets were sold in phases on a first-come, first-served basis through an online queuing system on the official Qatar World Cup website.
As early as July, Qatar's Justice Ministry warned that anyone who sells or exchanges tickets for the World Cup without permission from Fifa will face a fine of up to 250,000 riyals ($66,000).
Last month, three men were arrested in Qatar for reselling tickets in the week before the tournament started.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Company%20Profile
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Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
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Specs
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India squad
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, K.L. Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE%20set%20for%20Scotland%20series
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SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
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- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
Naga
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The specs: Macan Turbo
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Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Company%20profile%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EElggo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20August%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Luma%20Makari%20and%20Mirna%20Mneimneh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Education%20technology%20%2F%20health%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Four%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ASSASSIN'S%20CREED%20MIRAGE
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SPECS
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Hurricanes 31-31 Lions
Wellington Hurricanes:
Tries: Gibbins, Laumape, Goosen, Fifita tries, Barrett
Conversions: Barrett (4)
Penalties: Barrett
British & Irish Lions:
Tries: Seymour (2), North
Conversions: Biggar (2)
Penalties: Biggar (4)
Could%20We%20Be%20More
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MO
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RESULTS
Welterweight
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) beat Mostafa Radi (PAL)
(Unanimous points decision)
Catchweight 75kg
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) beat Leandro Martins (BRA)
(Second round knockout)
Flyweight (female)
Manon Fiorot (FRA) beat Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
(RSC in third round)
Featherweight
Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB) beat Ahmed Al Darmaki
(Disqualification)
Lightweight
Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) beat Rey Nacionales (PHI)
(Unanimous points)
Featherweight
Yousef Al Housani (UAE) beat Mohamed Fargan (IND)
(TKO first round)
Catchweight 69kg
Jung Han-gook (KOR) beat Max Lima (BRA)
(First round submission by foot-lock)
Catchweight 71kg
Usman Nurmogamedov (RUS) beat Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
(TKO round 1).
Featherweight title (5 rounds)
Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
(TKO round 1).
Lightweight title (5 rounds)
Bruno Machado (BRA) beat Mike Santiago (USA)
(RSC round 2).
