Pricing of the tickets appears to be the main issue with club officials claiming it to be unviable.
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AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey with AIFF Vice President NAHaris and Senior Men’s National Team Head Coach Khalid Jamil address a press conference of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), at Press Club in Bengaluru, Monday, August 25, 2025(IANS)
Ticket sales for India’s historic friendlies against Brazil and Uruguay on October 3 and 6 has taken a massive hit as reports are suggesting that the All India Football Federation’s attempt to spike ticket sales, through the channels of India’s three biggest clubs, have taken a different turn.
The iconic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata is preparing to host the former world champions next month but the ticket sales haven’t been as productive as expectedTwo weeks ago, AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey announced that fans would be able to buy tickets for the matches at discounted prices through East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mohammedan SC and the Indian Football Association (IFA)
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That tactic from the AIF has not worked as of yet since none of the channels have been able to sold as many tickets as it were expected.
Mohun Bagan had received 6,000 tickets but only 90 had been soldEast Bengal, which was given 4,000 tickets, had requisitioned 400The IFA was allocated 2,000 tickets, but only 24 requests had come from its affiliated units.
Mohammedan Sporting was given 3,000 tickets, although the club did not disclose the exact number soldThe report said the response had been very poor, with one senior club official reportedly purchasing 12 tickets himself.
The pricing of the tickets appears to be one of the main issuesTickets handed to the clubs and IFA were priced at INR 6,000, with a 10 per cent discount reportedly reducing the price to INR 5,400Club officials pointed out that cheaper tickets were available through the online platform, making the discounted tickets less attractive.
“Why should someone go for a INR 6000 ticket (INR 5400 after discount) when tickets of lower denomination are available on the online app?” a club official was quoted.
There is also a separate offer from Style Baazar, the principal sponsor of the India-Brazil and India-Uruguay matchesThe company has announced a buy-one-get-one-free offer for the Brazil game through a promotional code available to its customers.
Despite the weak response through the clubs and IFA, the India-Brazil game could still attract a large crowd at Salt Lake StadiumBrazil’s global appeal and the chance to watch the five-time World Cup winners in Kolkata could bring more fans closer to match day.
The bigger concern is the India-Uruguay friendly on October 6, just three days after the Brazil gameSince the matches being held during the Durga Puja period, officials following the situation have questioned whether fans will be willing to spend heavily on two international matches in such a short span.
