By TIM REYNOLDS, Associated Press
MIAMI — More than 1 million tickets have already been sold for next year’s World Cup, FIFA announced Thursday in its first update on sales numbers since the official ticket sales began earlier this month.
As expected, the highest demand has come from buyers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—the three nations hosting the tournament. FIFA reported that fans from 212 different countries and territories have already purchased tickets, even though only 28 of the 48 team spots have been filled so far.
Rounding out the top 10 countries in terms of tickets purchased are England, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, and France, in that order.
The tournament is set to take place from June 11 through July 19, 2026.
“As national teams across the globe compete for a place at the historic FIFA World Cup 26, I am thrilled so many football-loving fans also want to be part of this watershed event in North America,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement. He added, “It’s an incredible response, and a wonderful sign that the biggest, most inclusive FIFA World Cup in history is capturing the imagination of supporters everywhere.”
FIFA also announced that its official resale platform has opened. Tickets for the World Cup final, to be held in East Rutherford, New Jersey, were available on the resale site as of Thursday afternoon, with prices ranging from $9,538 to $57,500 per seat.
However, FIFA has not disclosed specific figures on how many tickets have been sold for individual matches or provided any breakdowns by host city. Unlike previous World Cups dating back to 1990, the organization also has not issued a full list of ticket prices.
The initial round of ticket sales was the result of a lottery selection, held last month, involving 4.5 million applicants. The next lottery entry period will open to fans on October 27. FIFA noted that single-match tickets for all 104 games, as well as venue- and team-specific tickets, will be released during this phase.
Based on stadium capacities, there are roughly 7.1 million seats available across the 104 matches hosted at approximately 16 venues throughout North America. It remains unclear how many of these seats will be made available for public sale.
Ticket pricing data indicates that the lowest-priced seats, starting at $60, are available for at least 40 matches. Most matches, however, feature significantly higher prices for almost all seats.
For instance, tickets for the opening match featuring the U.S., scheduled in Inglewood, California, ranged from $560 to $2,735 when sales opened. On the resale site, one ticket for that opening match on June 12 was listed for a staggering $61,642 as of Thursday.
Fans purchasing tickets can choose from four seat categories: Category 1 offers the best seats, while Category 4 includes seats located near the top of the stadiums.
Ticket prices are expected to fluctuate as the tournament employs dynamic pricing for the first time in its history.
Winners in the second phase of the ticket lottery will be able to purchase tickets between mid-November and early December. A third phase, described as a random selection draw, will commence after the final team draw on December 5, which will set the official World Cup schedule.
FIFA has also stated that tickets will be available closer to the tournament on a first-come, first-served basis.
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