FIFA Receives Over 500 Million Ticket Requests for 2026 World Cup

FIFA announced Wednesday that it received more than 500 million ticket requests for the 2026 World Cup during a monthlong application period that closed Tuesday, marking a record level of global interest in the expanded tournament.

The governing body for soccer described the figure as a milestone in sporting history, with applications coming from fans in all 211 of its member countries and territories. The sales window, which ran from December 11 to January 13, followed the release of the tournament schedule and draw in December. Each request was validated using unique credit card data to ensure legitimacy, and fans submitted an average of 15 million applications per day. FIFA President Gianni Infantino called the demand "a global statement," highlighting its scale beyond mere numbers.

The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across 16 cities, the first time the tournament expands to that size. It begins June 11 with Mexico facing South Africa in Mexico City and concludes July 19 with the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Outside the host nations, the highest volume of requests originated from Germany,...