Thousands of tickets remain unsold for Ireland vs Armenia

October 9, 2025

Thousands of tickets are still available for the World Cup qualifier between Ireland and Armenia as fans opt to stay away.

Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side face a daunting task away at Portugal on Saturday before hosting Armenia in a must-win contest on the following Tuesday.

Ireland are struggling to keep their World Cup dream alive after picking up a point in their first two matches.

That included a comeback win against 10-man Hungary before a humiliating defeat away at Armenia.

With four games left of qualifying, there is still hope of at least reaching the play-offs, with Ireland requiring at least two victories.

Nobody will expect any points in their two matches against the Portuguese, which puts extra pressure on the game on Tuesday against Armenia.

Why are Ireland struggling to sell tickets vs Armenia?

Despite its importance, thousands of tickets are available for the game at the Aviva Stadium.

A brief look at Ticketmaster, where the tickets are on sale, shows huge swaths of blue around the stadium where tickets are still available.

There are numerous reasons why fans could be opting to stay away.

Firstly, the cheapest ticket costs €55, which, for a game against a side ranked 103rd in the world, received a huge backlash from supporters. It’s also €25 for a ticket for fans under the age of 18.

Tickets in the lower section of the stadium, considered the ‘best seats’, cost €100 each.

Secondly, the fact that the game is on a Tuesday evening may also be putting people off. With a 19:45 kick-off, families may rather watch the game on TV, especially if they have work and school commitments the following morning.

A lack of star-studded names on show may also be playing into fans’ thoughts when deciding whether to fork out for a ticket.

Blue swaths show the number of empty seats in the Aviva Stadium

Ireland fans have been let down

Another key factor has been summed up by Finn Azaz, who spoke to the media before the contest ahead of the Portugal game.

There is a lack of excitement in the Ireland squad, and fans have been let down by previous results, particularly the 2-1 loss to Armenia last month.

Middlesbrough playmaker Azaz said: “We know we’ve let people down and let ourselves down, and now it’s a case of looking towards the next two games to put it right.

“There is an anger there to put things right.

“We need to take responsibility; everything was there for us last month in the training and preparation. We need to make sure it’s right for the next two games.

“We had a lot of confidence for the last two games, and it was really disappointing so that’s why we’re really motivated to put it right. It hurt. We can’t dwell on that pain we have to try use it.”

Pundit Arena has made contact with Ticketmaster for figures on the number of tickets sold but have yet to receive a reply.