Inside the scramble for World Cup Final tickets that even A-listers struggle to get

Inside the scramble for World Cup Final tickets that even A-listers struggle to get

A-list entertainment types at Wimbledon were already anxious about getting tickets to the World Cup Final in NYC this weekend.

“Nobody can get them,” said a stressed source regarding the soccer tickets. “That’s how impossible it is.”

The World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico has been a massive hit Getty Images
Spain clinched their spot in Sunday’s Final with a 2-0 win over France. Getty Images

Said a sports and entertainment insider: “New York is bracing for one of its most crowded celebrity and sports weekends in years as the World Cup Final collides with the ESPYs, [Michael Rubin’s] Fanatics Fest and a packed calendar of private brand events.” But tickets to the Cup on Sunday at MetLife Stadium (sorry, “New York/New Jersey Stadium”) “have become one of the toughest gets in town, while hotels, restaurants and private clubs are being overwhelmed by athletes, entertainers, executives and sponsors arriving for the week.”

One veteran sports event marketer David Spencer says sports events like the World Cup are now rivaling other entertainment gatherings on the calendar. “Artists want to perform, brands want to entertain their top clients, and executives and celebrities want to be in the same rooms,” he says of the sports boom.

MetLife Stadium (going by “New York/New Jersey Stadium” for the World Cup) will host the final. Anadolu via Getty Images
The World Cup Final is taking place the same weekend as the ESPYs and Fanatics Fest. FIFA via Getty Images

Celebs at the World Cup matches so far have included Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Jay-Z, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Halle Berry, Ryan Reynolds, Sabrina Carpenter, David and Victoria Beckham, Edward Norton, Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau, Salma Hayek, Paris Hilton, Sofía Vergara, Rob Lowe and Owen Wilson, among others.

Among the big brands on the scene, Michelob ULTRA is taking the over Standard Highline and Don Julio is hosting its Port of Champions event at Pier 17, while “private dinners, and private member club takeovers are being held across Manhattan,” we hear. “Everyone who matters in sports and entertainment seems to be in New York at the same time.”

Brad Pitt has become the regular A-listers at World Cup matches. CRYSTAL PIX / BACKGRID
England will face off against Argentina for a spot in the Final. Getty Images

Veteran marketer Spencer says demand now extends far beyond seats in the stadium. “The match ticket is difficult, but access around the Final has become equally competitive,” he said. “The best events are intentionally limited, and everyone is trying to reach the same athletes, artists, executives and tastemakers. This is no longer one game. It has become an entire week of business, entertainment and hospitality.”

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