There has been a frenzied demand for tickets to Argentina's first match since winning the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with over one and a half million fans rushing to purchase tickets despite their high prices in a country facing severe financial strain.
The match against Panama on March 23 will take place at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, the largest stadium in the country, which has a capacity of around 83,000 spectators.
The demand for tickets remained high despite their prices ranging from 12,000 to 49,000 Argentine pesos (approximately 59 to 241 dollars), with purchase requests totaling 1.5 million.
The passion to see Lionel Messi and his teammates has also extended to local and international media, with Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia stating that the match has seen "the highest media demand in history" with over 131,000 accreditation requests.
Tapia expressed on Twitter, "We hope to meet all these requests, but we need two stadiums the size of (Monumental) just for journalists. The desire to see the Argentina national team has surpassed the level of madness." This friendly match will be the national team's first encounter with its fans since their penalty shootout victory over France in last year's World Cup final in Qatar, claiming the title for the first time in 36 years and sparking massive celebrations across the country.
