A file photo of Kuwaiti fans cheering the team.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 9: The Blues have garnered significant public support following their draw with Jordan, driven by Kuwaiti fans' eagerness to see the national team compete and deliver impressive performances that have been lacking in recent years.

Having last qualified for this stage during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, Kuwait is currently experiencing unprecedented interest from fans, sports federations, and officials. This heightened focus is fueled by the expanded opportunity in the qualifiers, with eight and a half spots now available for teams from Asia, increasing Kuwait's chances of progressing.

This surge in support led to a frenzy for "symbolic" match tickets, which sold out within 24 hours of their release. The high demand even caused ticket prices to soar and some to be resold at inflated rates. Similarly, when 5,000 seats were made available for the fans of the Lions of Mesopotamia, they were quickly snapped up within 48 hours of their release.