Fans Spent Ksh2.07 Billion During World Cup Inside The Stadiums, Report Shows

Visa, the Official Payment Services Partner of FIFA, has today released a report showing that the fans of top ten countries (in terms of expenditure) spent Ksh2.07 billion (20.73 USD) in the recently concluded World Cup Tournament.

The analysis of spending inside the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia stadiums runs from the opening match on June 14 through the semi-finals on July 11 and shows that Russia spent the most, Ksh1.2 billion followed by US, who spent Ksh300 million.

Fans on average spent 1,408 rubles (approximately Ksh2,300) per transaction inside the stadiums throughout the tournament. The largest average individual purchases were seen on in-stadium merchandise (4,200 rubles; approximately Ksh6,800), Fan Fest merchandise (3,300 rubles; approximately Ksh5,300) and in-stadium food and beverage (800 rubles; approximately Ksh1,300).

Of the 62 matches played at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, the opening match between the host nation and Saudi Arabia at Luzhniki Stadium had the highest payment volume, with fans spending over 55 million rubles (approximately Ksh90 million).  Of the total spend at the opening match, 69 percent came from Russian citizens and 31 percent came from non-Russian citizens (122 countries).

Here is a list of countries whose fans spent the most inside the FIFA World Cup stadiums on their Visa cards

• Russia: 750 million rubles (Ksh12 billion)
• United States: 188 million rubles (Ksh300 million)
• Mexico: 94 million rubles (Ksh150 million)
• China: 67 million rubles (Ksh110 million)
• Argentina: 41 million rubles (Ksh70 million)
• Peru: 35 million rubles (Ksh56 million)
• England: 34 million rubles (Ksh55 million)
• Brazil: 28 million rubles (Ksh50 million)
• Colombia: 26 million rubles (Ksh42 million)
• Australia: 25 million rubles (Ksh40 million)

Fans spent most at Luzhniki Stadium, which hosted the opening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia, with a total of 533 million rubles (Ksh860 million). Below is a list of how fans spent in the stadiums.

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• Luzhniki (Moscow): 533 million rubles ($8.6 million)
• Saint Petersburg: 208 million rubles ($3.3 million)
• Samara: 125 million rubles ($2 million)
• Sochi: 117 million rubles ($1.9 million)
• Spartak (Moscow): 114 million rubles ($1.8 million)

There were over 2.5 million tickets available for the 64 games, which were played in 12 stadiums in 11 cities in Russia.

The actual number of fans who traveled to watch the World Cup in Russia is yet to be officially released.

The report highlights the increased consumer adoption of innovative payment technology, as 50 percent of purchases with Visa in tournament venues utilized contactless transactions, such as cards, mobile devices and wearables.

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