FIFA will give away tickets to some fans in effort to fill stadiums at Confederations Cup

FIFA to give tickets to people to fill stadiums

JOHANNESBURG — FIFA will give away free tickets to soccer fans in South Africa in an attempt to fill the thousands of empty seats at the Confederations Cup.

FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot says “there will be a number of complimentary tickets actually handed to institutions, institutions which have been very supportive of the event.”

Maingot did not say how many tickets would be handed out, but he said it will be for some of the remaining group matches. Schools and local authorities will be among the recipients of the free tickets.

After a near sellout in the opening match at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, matches in Rustenburg, Pretoria and Bloemfontein were all played in stadiums nowhere near capacity.