Colombia game in Miami so popular, Portugal’s coach had to buy his own tickets in December

Tickets for Portugal’s game against Colombia in Miami have been so in-demand that even head coach Roberto Martinez had to place an order early in order for his family to be sure of attendance.

The Group K match was subject to five million ticket requests in the first 24 hours of the Random Selection Draw in December. Sources with knowledge of the process have told The Athletic that it is the most wanted ticket of all 72 group-stage games at this summer’s World Cup.

Some tickets on resale sites such as StubHub have been listed for more than $6000.

The Colombian diaspora in Florida — with the state having the highest population of Colombian Americans in the U.S., per the 2020 census — and the draw of Cristiano Ronaldo, whose sixth World Cup is expected to be his last, have contributed to the game being over-subscribed.

Colombia is top of Group K after winning both its games, however, Portugal can overtake the South Americans with a win. Whoever clinches first place will play one of the third-place finishers from Group D, E, I, J or L in Kansas City. The runner-up will go to Toronto and play the second-place team from Group L, which could be Croatia, Ghana, or even England.

When asked about how sought after they are and what it means for fans, Martinez said: “Well, it means I had to buy tickets for my family in November. That’s what it means. Because I knew it was going to be difficult to get tickets.

“I think it’s fascinating. The passion of the game in a difficult moment in the world. Football still brings unity, it brings passion, it brings inspiration for the kids. All the values that you want to see in a human being. They are in football, in a football pitch and that makes me extremely, extremely proud.

“So I hope tomorrow football wins and inspiration of anyone that watches the game.”