A new scandal has erupted on social media after the Uzbekistan national football team's World Cup campaign ended. Bloggers and fans who were in the US claim that discounted tickets allocated by FIFA to the Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) were sold to supporters at inflated prices.

According to some Instagram users, tickets that were supposed to cost $60 were sold for $450 to $1,500. Due to the high prices, hundreds of fans were unable to enter the stadiums.

Blogger Abdurakhmon Fozilov stated that he had nothing to do with organizing the trip, tickets, or accommodation in the US. Businessman Otabek Zhuraev (Iwash) confirmed that he sold a few tickets gifted by sponsors at market price but denied involvement in the mass sale of discounted tickets.

Under FIFA rules, federations receive 8% of stadium capacity for their matches, of which 10% (0.8% of total capacity) must be sold at a discounted price of $60 for loyal fans. These tickets are not available for public sale — federations decide how to distribute them.

For Uzbekistan's three matches, the UFA was supposed to receive over 1,750 guaranteed discounted tickets ($60 each) for distribution among fan club members. Additionally, the UFA had about 17,500 standard tickets that were to be sold to fans at prices set by FIFA.

The Uzbekistan Football Association has not yet commented on the situation.

Source: kun.uz