Despite criticism over steep prices, FIFA gets 5 million ticket requests in one day
Five million requests for 2026 World Cup tickets have been made since the tickets for the third phase opened on Thursday.
New Delhi: Five million requests for the tickets of the 2026 World Cup have been received in the first 24 hours of sale for the third phase, says FIFA. The football governing body has faced massive backlash from supporter groups over the cost of tickets.
FIFA further added that the numbers showed that "demand from around the world reached to extraordinary levels," as fans were able to request tickets for specific games for the first time following the tournament's draw last week in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Football fans from more than 200 countries have requested tickets, with the group match between Colombia and Portugal in Miami on 27 June being in demand. The ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup ranged from $180 to $700 for varying group stage matches. The lowest price for the final of the tournament was $4,185, and the highest was $8,680.
The English Football Association shared ticket pricing information with the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC), which showed that if a fan bought a ticket for every match till the final, it would cost just over $7,000.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has described the current prices as "extortionate" and called on the football governing body to immediately stop ticket sales via national associations until a solution is found that respects the tradition, universality, and cultural significance of the World Cup.
"We back Football Supporters Europe in calling for a halt in ticket sales, and we are calling on the Football Association to work with fellow FAs to directly challenge these disgraceful prices. We call on all national associations to stand up for your supporters, without whom there would be no professional game," the FSA said in a statement.
Strong ticket demand from three host countries
FIFA said the three host countries are leading the ticket demand in the third phase. Colombia, England, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Scotland, Germany, Australia, France and Panama are the other 10 countries with the most requests for tickets.