Lionel Messi's Argentina sees top demand at Qatar 2022 World Cup
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his side's third goal during a friendly against Estonia, Pamplona, Spain, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo)


Tickets for two games featuring Lionel Messi's Argentina have been the top attractions for fans at this year's World Cup in Qatar, according to the chief organizer.

Argentina's first-round group games against archrivals Mexico on Nov. 26 and Saudi Arabia on Nov. 22 were the "most requested," Nasser al-Khater, CEO of the Qatar organizing committee, told the QNA national news agency late Wednesday.

Both matches will be at the 80,000-capacity Lusail stadium, where the World Cup final will be staged on Dec. 18.

The official did not give figures but the Argentina-Mexico match was sold out in the first round of online sales at the start of the year.

FIFA said this month around 2.45 million tickets have been sold for the first World Cup in an Arab nation, which al-Khater promised would be "a great carnival."

There are 3.2 million tickets in total with more than 1 million going to sponsors and FIFA partners.

Argentina and Mexico have been named among the top ticket-buying countries along with Qatar, the U.S., England, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Brazil and Germany.

Qatar has said it expects about 1.2 million visitors at the 32-nation event that starts Nov. 20.