LOS ANGELES: FIFA said on Wednesday it had received more than 500 million ticket requests for this year’s World Cup, underlining massive global interest in the tournament despite mounting criticism over high prices.
In a statement, football’s world governing body said fans from all 211 of its member nations and territories applied during the first ticket lottery phase, which closed on Tuesday.
Successful applicants will be informed “no earlier than Feb 5”. FIFA revealed that, outside the three host nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — the strongest demand came from Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Colombia.
The most requested match was Colombia’s group-stage clash with Portugal in Miami on Jun 27, followed by Mexico’s meeting with South Korea in Guadalajara on Jun 18.
The World Cup final, scheduled for Jul 19 in New Jersey, was the third most soughtafter fixture.
“Half a billion ticket requests in just over a month is more than demand — it’s a global statement,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said, adding that the organisation regretted being unable to accommodate every fan.
The unprecedented demand comes amid backlash over ticket prices for the expanded 48- team tournament.
Supporters’ groups have described prices as excessive, prompting FIFA to introduce a limited batch of lower-cost tickets priced at $60 (about RM243) in December. – AFP
