As many as 35,000 England fans are expected at Berlin’s Olympiastadion for Sunday’s Euro 2024 final against Spain, despite an official allocation of 10,000.
Many of the tickets on general sale are expected to be snapped up by England supporters, who will take their place inside the ground alongside the customary extensive retinue of Uefa dignitaries and corporate sponsors.
A spokesperson for the Football Supporters’ Association said that the allocation for the 71,000-stadium confirmed “the old story” of tickets being kept from supporters. “It’s tickets going to the wrong people in the first place,” they said. “There will still be 30,000 England fans in the stadium but many will have ended up paying way over the odds on the black market.”
The 10,000 number is roughly a 50% increase on the official allocation to this point and is distributed to members of the England Supporters Travel Club. This is the group found behind the goal at matches and where the most vocal support (and drumming) comes from.
England are expected to be given the bank of seating at the Olympiastadion’s west stand, where the cauldron which once held the Olympic torch during the Nazi games of 1936 still resides. The Olympiastadion is in the far west of the German capital.
The FSA has repeated warnings to supporters looking to buy tickets via unofficial channels that they could leave themselves exposed to scams. “We are reminding supporters of the risks when purchasing tickets via unofficial third party websites or social media accounts,” it said. “There is every chance you could lose your money and end up with no ticket – it happens to many fans at every tournament.”