FIFA receives huge demand for 2026 World Cup tickets

FIFA has already received more than 150 million ticket requests for next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The figure was announced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino at a football event in Dubai.

Applications have come from over 200 countries. According to FIFA, demand is around 30 times higher than the number of tickets available. The number of requests is also more than three times higher than the total attendance of all previous World Cups combined since 1930.

Infantino said the response shows the “global love for football”.

The final sales phase began on 11 December and runs until 13 January. Tickets will be allocated by a draw. This is the first sales round since the group draw on 5 December, which confirmed most teams’ group-stage opponents.

The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest ever, expanding from 32 to 48 teams. The number of matches will rise from 64 to 104, meaning more tickets are available overall.

However, the sales process has drawn criticism over high prices. In response, FIFA introduced a limited number of tickets priced at 60 dollars for fans who register through their national football associations.

^{© JUAN MABROMATA / AFP}