The overwhelming demand for World Cup tickets in Qatar is driving some fans to the black market.

As droves of fans seek out some of the most coveted sports tickets in the world, scalpers are seeking huge markups for World Cup matches, per Reuters.

• Some are offering ticket prices of up to $2,000 – nine times the face value.
• Qatar passed a special law prior to the tournament granting FIFA exclusive rights to sell World Cup tickets — and illegal attempts to sell passes can incur fines of up to 10 times the ticket’s value.

Initially, Qatar required World Cup match tickets for tourists entering the country, though it later backtracked.

Illegal ticket sellers told Reuters that Argentina and Portugal can earn premiums due to the star power of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Olympics Next?

Having spent at least $229 billion on building seven new stadiums and a subway system among other infrastructure projects, Qatar is now vying for other major sporting events. 

It will host the 2030 Asian Games and is preparing a bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics. Like this year’s World Cup, the Summer Games would likely be moved back a few months to avoid the country’s scorching summer heat.

The Philadelphia 76ers are preparing to build a new $1.3 billion arena near the city’s Chinatown — and the surrounding community wants to make sure its voice is heard.

Four local groups have formed a committee aimed at ensuring that the culture of the area isn’t wiped out by the development, and that local businesses are able to benefit from economic potential of the project.

In July, the 76ers announced the creation of 76 Devcorp — a development company responsible for building the proposed arena, which has been tentatively named 76 Place.

• 76 Devcorp is led by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment co-owner David Adelman.
• Adelman owns a 10% stake in HBSE previously held by Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin.
• The 76ers’ potential new arena will be entirely privately funded.
• A new arena could be ready in time for the start of the 2031-32 NBA season.

One of the first steps in the developer’s relationship with the community will be an update to a 2017 study on the economic and social conditions of the neighborhood. 

Busy Owner 

The 76ers are the 10th-most-valuable NBA team at $3.15 billion, per Forbes, and owner HBSE could further expand a portfolio that also includes the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.

HBSE is mulling its options on a potential bid for iconic English club Liverpool — which is valued at $4.45 billion.

A new women’s sports organization is looking to capitalize on the growing popularity of women’s soccer by launching a pro league in Canada.

On Tuesday, Project 8 — co-founded by national soccer hero Diana Matheson and business partner Thomas Gilbert — revealed that a new Canadian women’s pro soccer league will begin play in 2025.

• Calgary Foothills and Vancouver Whitecaps — whose women’s team dissolved in 2012 — will be the league’s founding teams.
• CIBC bank and Air Canada are founding partners of the league.
• Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair is involved in the project as an advisor and brand ambassador.

“We’re making this product for everyone who believes in this dream,” Project 8’s website reads. “This League is about creating opportunities for Canadians. Not just for players, but for fans, referees, coaches, and management. We’re here to grow the sport.”

Global Growth

Project 8 is looking to catch the rising wave of interest in women’s soccer around the world.

The United States’ NWSL set multiple attendance records this season, and its championship game notched record viewership in October. Commissioner Jessica Berman expects “five-to-10 official bids” for the league’s expansion by 2024.

Across the pond, Wembley Stadium has sold out multiple England women’s national team matches — including the 2022 Euro Final and a friendly against the U.S.

The Arizona Coyotes arena project has been cleared for takeoff by one of its biggest opponents.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is apparently backing off its opposition to the Coyotes’ plans. It had previously sought to block the project on the grounds that the proposed development was in the airport’s flight path.

• The Coyotes hope to build a $2.1 billion arena and surrounding development on land owned by Tempe.
• The project calls for nearly 2,000 apartments and an entertainment district on 46 acres of land.

Sky Harbor had contended that the plan violated an agreement between Phoenix and Tempe on how close the housing can be to the airport and threatened lawsuits.

However, Sky Harbor official Chad Makovsky wished the city good luck on the project at a Tempe city council meeting last week, seemingly indicating that Sky Harbor is softening its stance.

Power to the People

In November, the Tempe council voted to hold a special election so that voters could determine the fate of the project.

Should the team prevail, it will provide a pathway out of its current situation, in which it plays its home games at Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena, which only holds around 5,000 people. 

The team is averaging 4,600 fans this season, about a third of the next-lowest team, the Buffalo Sabres, which bring in 13,634 per home game.