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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Mark Walker

Tartan Army face fresh World Cup blow as US citizens gifted free tickets

(Image: Getty)

American authorities are handing out thousands of free tickets for Scotland's World Cup games to kids and military veterans, while the Tartan Army are scrambling to pay a fortune for the briefs.

Tens of thousands of Scotland supporters are heading to the USA to watch Steve Clarke's side face Haiti and Morocco in Boston before they head south to Miami for the final group stage game against Brazil.

The Tartan Army were left stunned at official ticket prices for the games, which ranged from £372 for the Haiti game to £523 for the Brazil match for top category tickets in the official Scotland Supporters Club allocation.

Prices on the many resale sites have reached double those prices, with thousands of Scotland fans facing being priced out of the games.

FIFA have yet to release any indication of official ticket sales for any matches, although there is a widely-held belief that the group stage games are nowhere near a sell-out, at the 64,628-capacity Gillette Stadium in particular.

And now local kids and military veterans will be handed free tickets.

Massachusetts children will be allocated a total of 1,104 free tickets which have been donated by Airbnb and will be handed out through the Massachusetts Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs as well as community organisations.

Governor Maura Healey said: "We have so many kids who play and who follow and who love soccer.

"This is a big deal for the state so we're really happy that we're able to give these tickets to them for free."


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Massachusetts Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs Executive Director Jennifer Aldworth added: "For many kids, attending a World Cup match is more than just seeing a sporting event - it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the excitement, diversity and global spirit that sports can inspire.

"These tickets will create unforgettable memories, broaden horizons, and remind our young people that they belong on the world's biggest stages."

Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk said: "We’re thrilled to provide Massachusetts kids an opportunity to attend the World Cup 2026 and experience first-hand the joy of this once-in-a-generation event."

American military veterans, active-duty service members and first responders have also been gifted tickets for unspecified matches too.

The Bank of America sponsored the initiative in association with the USA's Vet Tix - a non-profit organisation for the military.

Vet Tix Founder and US Navy veteran Michael Focareto III said: "We are deeply grateful to partner with Bank of America and FIFA to help make 4,547 World Cup tickets available to the veteran, military and first responder communities we proudly serve."

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