FIFA said on Friday it had received 5 million ticket requests in the first 24 hours of the third phase of ticket sales. 2026 world cupDespite widespread reaction from advocacy groups over the latest prices.
World football’s governing body said the figures showed “demand from around the world has reached extraordinary levels”, as fans were able to request tickets for specific matchups for the first time since last week’s draw for the tournament. United States of America, Canada And Mexico,
Citing the “enthusiasm” of fans from more than 200 countries to buy tickets for the first 48-team World Cup, FIFA hinted at backing down despite strong criticism when the latest prices were revealed on Thursday.
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A list published by the German Football Association showed that prices ranged from $180 to $700 for different group stage games. The lowest price for the finals was $4,185, and the highest price was $8,680.
The English Football Association shared pricing information with the England Supporters’ Travel Club (ESTC), which revealed that if a fan purchased a ticket for each game leading up to the final it would cost more than $7,000.
Fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) described the current prices as “extortionate” and called on FIFA to immediately stop the sale of tickets through national associations “until a solution can be found that respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup.”
“This is a gross betrayal of World Cup tradition, ignoring the supporters’ contribution to this spectacle,” it said in a statement.
When bidding for the tournament seven years ago, United States soccer officials aimed to offer hundreds of thousands of $21 seats at the opening round of games. However, FIFA has implemented dynamic pricing at a World Cup for the first time following its use at this summer’s Club World Cup, with prices set to fluctuate based on demand.
The last time the US hosted the World Cup in 1994, prices ranged from $25 to $475. In Qatar in 2022, prices ranged from around $70 to $1,600 at the time ticket details were announced.
Through a “random selection draw” that began Thursday, fans are able to choose which match, ticket category and number of tickets they want to purchase for each match, although there is no guarantee of successfully obtaining tickets.
The third phase of the sale will run until January 13, 2026, with successful applicants notified by email in February and charged automatically.
FIFA said the three host nations led demand in the third phase, while strong demand came from elsewhere in the Americas. Colombia, England, Ecuador, brazil, argentina, scotland, Germany, Australia, France And panama The following are the 10 countries with the most requests for tickets.
Colombia’s competition in group stage matches portugal And Cristiano Ronaldo FIFA said Miami received the highest number of ticket requests in the first 24 hours on June 27. Other demanding matches include Brazil vs. morocco (New Jersey), Mexico vs. south korea (Guadalajara), Ecuador vs. Germany (New Jersey) and Scotland vs. Brazil (Miami).
Despite strong demand from Scotland for the sale of tickets to attend the country’s first World Cup since 1998, a Scottish supporters’ group called the prices “outrageous and disgusting” and urged the country’s football association to make their feelings known to FIFA.
“This will be a loss for many of our fans,” the Association of Tartan Army Clubs (ATAC) said in a statement. “FIFA has killed the dream of our young fans desperate to win the World Cup.
“The SFA must stand with FIFA, together with other associations, to force FIFA to stop this sale and reconsider the prices for our supporters.”
Meanwhile, England’s Football Association is prepared to report the dissatisfaction of its country’s fans to FIFA, although it does not expect anything to change as a result, according to a report from the Press Association on Friday.
FIFA closed Friday’s update by saying, “As a non-profit organization, FIFA reinvests the revenues generated from the FIFA World Cup to promote the development of football.” [men’s, women’s and youth] across the 211 FIFA member associations globally.”
Information from the Associated Press and PA was used in this report.
