Amidst High Price, Inflation, Argentina Sold Out Friendly Tickets

Argentina's friendly game against Panama, their first since winning the World Cup, saw tickets sell out in record time.

Despite high prices ranging from 12,000 to 49,000 Argentine pesos ($59 to $241), over 1.5 million people attempted to buy tickets to watch Lionel Messi's side play at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires.

The virtual queue of ticket hopefuls highlights the country's passion for football, with even the international and local press seeking to cover the match generating over 131,000 accreditation requests.

Argentina Football Association President Claudio Tapia announced that the game had generated the "highest media demand in history," adding that the association would have needed two stadiums of the Monumental's capacity to host all of the journalists that sought accreditation.

Amidst the high prices, the country's inflation, and the ongoing pandemic, the desire to see Argentina's national team remains undiminished.

The friendly match against Panama will be Argentina's first in front of their fans since their World Cup win in Qatar, ending a 36-year drought. In the lead up to this game, Argentina also announced a match against Curacao on March 28th in front of 30,000 fans in the province of Santiago del Estero