Half a billion fans chase World Cup tickets, FIFA reveals

World football’s governing body, FIFA, has revealed an unprecedented surge in demand for tickets to this year’s World Cup, with more than 500 million requests submitted by fans worldwide.

In a statement on Wednesday, FIFA said applications were received from supporters across all 211 member associations for the tournament to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The ticket application window, which operates through a lottery system, closed on Tuesday.

Fans will begin receiving confirmation of successful applications from 5 February, FIFA added.

Outside the host countries, the strongest interest came from Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Colombia.

FIFA disclosed that the most sought-after match was Colombia versus Portugal in Miami on 27 June, followed by Mexico’s group game against South Korea in Guadalajara on 18 June, and the World Cup final in New Jersey on 19 July.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the response as overwhelming.

“Half a billion ticket requests in just over a month is more than demand – it’s a global statement,” he said, while acknowledging that not all fans would be able to attend matches in person.

The announcement comes amid continued backlash over ticket prices for the expanded 48-team tournament, with supporters’ groups describing the costs as excessive. Football Supporters Europe has claimed prices are nearly five times higher than those at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

In response, FIFA introduced a limited batch of discounted tickets in December, priced at $60 (€51).