UAE friendly against Lionel Messi and Argentina sold out in less than 24 hours

Match takes place at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on November 16

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates with the trophy after beating Brazil 1-0 in the 2021 Copa America final at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. AP

Players from Argentina toss Lionel Messi in the air as they celebrate their victory against Brazil in the Copa America final. EPA

Lionel Messi blows a kiss to celebrate their win against Brazil. EPA

Argentina's Lionel Messi speaks on his phone as he celebrates their victory. EPA

Lionel Messi holds the trophy as he celebrates with the team. AP

Lionel Messi holds the trophy for the championship's top scorer. AFP

Lionel Messi kisses the Copa America trophy. EPA

Brazil's Neymar and Lionel Messi of Argentina after the match. Reuters

Argentina's Angel Di Maria scores the winning goal against Brazil. EPA

Argentina's Angel Di Maria holds the trophy after winning the Copa America. AFP

Brazil's Neymar looks dejected after the match. Reuters

Neymar and Lionel Messi after the match. Reuters

Players from Argentina toss Lionel Messi in the air as they celebrate their victory against Brazil in the Copa America final. EPA

Tickets for next month’s friendly between Argentina and the UAE in Abu Dhabi sold out in less than 24 hours, organisers said on Sunday.

The match, taking place at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium on November 16, represents Argentina’s final warm-up game before they move to Qatar for the Fifa World Cup.

Tickets for the friendly went on sale late last week, with demand high to see Lionel Messi and teammates in the capital. However, organisers said tickets remain available for Argentina’s open training session on November 13, at Al Nahyan Stadium. The session begins at 6pm, with tickets starting at Dh25.

Messi, 35, confirmed last week that the Qatar finals, which begins on November 20, will be his final World Cup.

Aref Al Awani, general secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said in a statement: “Argentina are one of the favourites to lift the World Cup this December and many of the team’s players have been quite open about this potentially being their last major tournament.

“We are keen to ensure all those who missed out on tickets for the match with the UAE still have a chance to watch the players up close as they prepare in Abu Dhabi ahead of their campaign for a third World Cup title. For this reason, prices for the open training are very accessibly priced.”

Argentina, the current South American champions, are one of the favourites for the World Cup. Unbeaten in 35 matches, they begin their campaign for a third global crown against Saudi Arabia on November 22 before taking on Mexico four days later. Argentina round off Group C on November 30, against Poland.