civicmon

Hi friends,

I'm going to be in town Oct 20-28 - It appears that a slew of teams including Boca, Velez Sarfield, Huracan, San Lorenzo and Lanus will be at home for matchday 9. Tickets are quite hard to get if one isn't a club member. All i'm typically finding are expensive tours. Any suggestions on how to get a hold of a pair?

Also, bearing in mind the usual common sense precautions, is it safe to go to these matches? I could blend in OK but my wife who's from SE Asia will clearly stand out. Anything I should know before attending?

Thanks for the assistance!

RobertWill

I like going to a lot of futbol games while in BA so perhaps I can help.

For getting a hold of tickets you'll need to swing by the admin offices of the clubs the week of the game. Tickets are not released until then. Many of the clubs do not sell tickets on match day at the stadium which is annoying if you want to go spontaneously. However, as you mentioned, more and more clubs are pushing to have season ticket holders or "socios" rather than 1-2 game per season fans. Tickets are sold at discount prices to "socios" who pay monthly dues and tickets to one time purchasers or "invitados" are more expensive. More advice on this here.

Clubs like Boca Juniors are next to impossible to attend as a non-season ticket holder. You're going to be scalping a membership ticket or going with one of the tour groups who organize everything in advance. I'd recommend the same company I linked to above (LandingpadBA) as a trusted source having attended a few games with them over the years. They come in handy for the really big games where tickets are tough to get a hold of and games at Boca. If you have never been to a game here it might be wise to go with them first then on your own once you see how things work.

River has their own online ticket system and hierarchy fan/socio rules. I have not bought tickets there in a couple of years (my friend takes care of it), but I know they can especially be a pain if it is a big game.

Going on your own to games I would target the smaller clubs or stadiums that are located in decent areas like Argentinos Juniors, All Boys, River Plate, Velez. Stadiums and teams located further from CABA or in rougher areas that should be researched or attended with friends or in a group; Boca Juniors, San Lorenzo, Racing Club, Independiente, Lanus. There are like 20+ stadiums and teams in or near CABA so plenty more to choose from, just research!

The schedule for the rest of the 2018 season should be posted this week. It's been delayed because teams were advancing in the Copa Argentina and Copa Libertadores and the teams will need to rest. Seeing more than one game in a day is tough, so I'd narrow it down to what is worth it. Of the games that week: Boca/Central, Independiente/Huracan, Argentinos/Union would be my top picks. San Lorenzo is playing terribly right now and their stadium is not in a great area so I'd drop it from the potentials.

There will be 2 very important matches within your date range. The semifinals of the Copa Libertadores on Oct 23/24. River/Gremio and Boca/Palmeiras, 2 Argentine teams, 2 Brazilian teams and the biggest tournament in the Americas. If you can manage to see either of those games it will be something you will never forget, but expect a big price tag for either.

General rules of thumb: Check the team colors and do not wear a jersey of any other team besides the home team or Argentina's national team. If you're coming from the US one of the first things you'll notice is that there are no visiting team fans allowed and if they are they are isolated in a separate section. There is no mixing of fans in the stadium and no booze either. You and your wife will be separated and searched during the security check points by same gender police. Your wife being from SE Asia will not have any trouble generally speaking.

Gaucho100K

Excellent advice and information as posted above. I agree 200% that you should try to make one of the big Copa Libertadores games, as they involve River Plate or Boca Juniors - which are two of the largest and most popular Teams in all of South America. The Libertadores tournament is the South American equivalent of the Champions League in Europe, so you can expect Stadiums to be 100% full. As noted, ticket prices will be expensive. For visitors, I suggest going through one of the reputable travel agencies that offer a turn-key solution, which should include Hotel to Stadium transportation (both ways).

civicmon

Thanks for your assistance. I will work through them to attend a match. I'd love to attend a Copa Liberadores match but that also happens to fall on my wife's birthday. Not sure how well that will fly. I will see what I can do!

marilau6

Tickets sells start the week of the games and you can buy them in the administrative offices of each club

ScottishMan

First post on here so be gentle please...

Does anyone know if the approach to getting tickets changes a lot for Copa Libertadores / Copa Sudamerica?

I'm visiting BA between 22-27 July with my girlfriend and River Plate, San Lorenzo & Independiente are all playing - don't have a preference between them although River Plate would be closest to the hotel I'm staying at. The only info I could find online was that San Lorenzo appear to be releasing tickets on general sale on 3rd July but I've no idea if you can buy online or not.

malagajohn

Hi ScottishMan - DM sent.......

Gaucho100K

I dont mean to intrude into private conversations, but for the benefit of the 'greater public' reading these forums, it would be great if folks with good tips and/or ticket access could post some basic information here on the open forums. Not trying to make this something mandatory, just a friendly suggestion. Thanks to all those that are willing to consider this.

wandering_fred

I saw a Boca Juniors game in September 2010..... So while I can highly recommend the experience, my knowledge of the "infrastructure" to accomplish it is far far out of date.... It was a notice on the board at the 2* hotel that generated the opportunity. Not sure that I could afford the experience now....
OTOH my favorite search engine came up with a couple of recommendations for "landingpadba".... And their website does seem to highlight the game of soccer in BA.....

Happy wandering
Fred

Gaucho100K

Availability of tickets for "big" matches with the largest & most popular clubs has gotten tricky as Clubs have expanded to sell season tickets for people that sign up for (and pay) monthly memberships. The biggest problem is for Boca Tickets, as they have one of the smallest stadiums of the "big" Clubs, meaning that their home games are 110% sold out 99% of the time. This means that visitors have little choice but to buy one of the tourist packages that are out there, which are not only quite expensive but also (sadly) do not guarantee you will have a premium quality seat. Depending on the game and on which tour operator you use, you may end up paying top dollar for nose-bleed seating. The experience will still be memorable, as the ambiance & Folklore of an Argentine Soccer Game is something that you will not see anywhere else, but if you are a purist of the Game then please be prepared to compromise when it comes to seat location and actual game viewing experience.

Gaucho100K

Hello ScottishMan--

I saw on the ATM thread that you are in need of assistance retrieving the tickets you have purchased. Ive sent you a PM to see if I can help.

Cheers,
Alex (Gaucho100K)