Fans will have to dig deep to get a chance to attend the former Manchester United defender’s press conference
Rio Ferdinand appears at FIFA World Cup final press conference
World Cup fans will be charged £60 per person to attend a press conference featuring finalists Argentina and Spain, as well as Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand. FIFA has teamed up with its commercial partner, global sports retailer Fanatics, to hold a fan festival at the Javits Center in New York City on Friday.
Hundreds of fans will be able to attend a press conference at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, two days before Sunday’s final game. However, you must pay a high price for the privilege of access.
Ferdinand will host the press conference event, which will feature FIFA president Gianni Infantino as a “special guest.” But rather than inviting fans to one-off events for free, FIFA is looking to make money by charging them £60 per person.
“Fans will have a unique opportunity to see both finalists on stage just days before the World Cup final and hear directly from players and team representatives as they prepare for the biggest game in sports. Special guests including Gianni Infantino will appear soon,” the Fanatics ad said.
Fans who wish to commemorate the occasion by taking an official photo with Ferdinand will be forced to pay £100. The press conference itself is handled by FIFA, but access will be granted to those who have paid for a ticket to Fanatics Fest.
According to the Times, the American organization said the admission fee will include a number of events in various sports that will feature athletes such as LeBron James, Novak Djokovic, Tom Brady, Serena Williams and Sir David Beckham.
Ferdinand’s growing influence within FIFA is notable. The 47-year-old was one of the few former footballers to publicly support FIFA’s approach to the Folarin Balogun suspension controversy (later admitting it was the wrong decision), but in December he hosted the draw for the World Cup’s expanded group stage to 48 teams.
The former England international is one of dozens of former footballers to represent world football’s governing body on the international stage. Like many past footballers, Ferdinand is a “FIFA Legend” and serves as an ambassador at promotional events such as Fanatics.
Rio Ferdinand is classified as a ‘FIFA Legend’ at a promotional event (Image: Michael Regan – FIFA, FIFA via Getty Images)
Join us on Facebook! For the latest news, analysis and more on our Mirror Football Facebook page
However, the chance to meet Ferdinand isn’t even the most expensive opportunity fans can buy. Prices vary depending on which star athlete is in the photo, with a memorabilia photo including former MLB star Alex Rodriguez costing a whopping £239.
Ferdinand’s notable absence from the BBC and ITV commentary studios has seen the former England defender opting to cover the tournament through his YouTube channel Rio Ferdinand Presents. He also posted a video on social media of himself celebrating England’s opening goal in Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Argentina.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily Manchester United content from Mirror Football. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of them live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
