OVER 500 MILLION TICKET REQUESTS RECEIVED FOR FIFA WORLD CUP

The random selection round for 2026 World Cup tickets ended on Tuesday, with more than half a billion requests received, FIFA stated. During the phase, which began on December 11, consumers could apply for tickets with their credit cards. Everyone who applied will be placed in a pool, and each applicant will have an equal chance of being picked to win the opportunity to purchase tickets.

Those who are unsuccessful will have the option to reserve their seats during later sales periods, when more tickets become available.

According to FIFA's news release, applicants will be notified of the results of the first draw via email no early than February 5. The host countries, the United States, Mexico, and Canada, had the highest number of applicants, followed by Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, and Colombia."A half-billion ticket requests in just over a month is more than demand; it's a global statement," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement. "On behalf of FIFA, I would like to thank and congratulate football fans everywhere for this extraordinary response."

The 48-team World Cup will be held in 16 host cities spanning the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. Colombia's Group K match against Portugal, slated for June 27 in Miami, garnered the most applications. Mexico's match against South Korea in Guadalajara (Group A on June 18), the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19, the Cup's opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City (Group A on June 11), and a round-of-32 match in Toronto on July 2 were all popular.