Tickets to the Fifa World Cup finals in Qatar tomorrow are being sold at exorbitant prices outside authorised channels, Khaleej Times has learnt.

A Dubai-based private seller said he is offering two tickets to the final match for a whopping Dh23,000. The Category 2 ticket has seen a lot of interest, according to the seller who wished to remain anonymous. “Yesterday, a friend of mine sold tickets of the same category for Dh30,000,” he said. “So there is a lot of demand for it.”

Most of these tickets are not sold on public platforms but rather through referrals, the resident said. The sellers source the tickets through various channels, with some buying from those who were able to purchase passes but were not able to make the trip.

According to the seller, he has seen demand from various quarters. “I have been approached many times especially by Emiratis and Indian expats,” he said. “Most of them are referred by friends.”

The Fifa World Cup final will take place on Sunday, December 18, between Argentina and current champions France at 7pm, UAE time. It will be a keenly awaited match, especially since Argentina’s Lionel Messi has announced that this will be his last World Cup.

According to the seller, who has sold tickets to previous matches as well, the demand dipped after Brazil crashed out of the tournament following their defeat to Croatia in the quarter-finals. “A lot of people were hoping for Brazil to advance,” he said. “However, when they lost, the demand for tickets dipped. It spiked again when Morocco made it to the semi-finals. Now, everyone is looking forward to the finals.”