FIFA: VIP ticket sales for World Cup down 50 pct

By foxsports
Published

Only half of the VIP tickets for the World Cup have been sold four months before soccer's biggest event kicks off in South Africa.

FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke said only 2.1 million tickets have been sold for the tournament, which has a capacity of 2.9 million.

The biggest problem has been with ``hospitality'' programs, where ticketing agencies make the bulk of their profits by selling spots in luxury booths at significantly higher prices.

Valcke blamed the disappointing performance in the VIP sector on the economic crisis. Price gouging and security fears over South Africa are also causing many fans to forgo the World Cup.