More than 500 million fans request FIFA World Cup tickets
Football
By
AFP
| Jan 15, 2026
Football's global governing body FIFA said Wednesday it had received more than 500 million requests for tickets to this year's World Cup despite rumbling controversy over sky-high prices to attend the event.
FIFA said in a statement it had received applications from fans in all of its 211 member nations and territories for the tournament staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The window for submitting requests to be entered in a lottery which will allocate tickets closed on Tuesday. FIFA said fans would be notified of whether their requests had been successful "no earlier than 5 February."
Outside of the tournament's host nations, FIFA said the heaviest demand came from fans in Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Colombia.
The most requested ticket was Colombia's clash with Portugal in Miami on June 27, followed by Mexico's game against South Korea in Guadalajara on June 18, and the World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19.
READ MORE
Doping: Let us remove the maize cob before champions step on it
It's down to prayers after Nairobi bids to host world athletics event
It's down to prayers after Nairobi bids to host world athletics event
Lecturers shock as PSC slashes university dons' retirement age by up to 15 years
Correction and clarification on the inauguration of Ngugi arts centre
Limuru's calling, as Ngugi wa Thiong'o Centre unveiled, Kombani launches book
PPB warns of falsified Cancer drug batch circulating in the market
Doctors set 90-day ultimatum for pay talks, warn of strike
Kenya, Italy adopt four-year cooperation plan after Ruto-Meloni talks
"Half a billion ticket requests in just over a month is more than demand – it's a global statement," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. "I would like to thank and congratulate football fans everywhere for this extraordinary response."
"Knowing how much this tournament means to people around the world, our only regret is that we cannot welcome every fan inside the stadiums."
FIFA has faced sharp criticism over its ticket pricing strategy for the 48-team tournament, with fan groups branding the cost as "extortionate" and "astronomical."
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said ticket prices were almost five times higher than at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Those criticisms prompted FIFA to introduce a new category of cut-price tickets in December set at 60 US dollars (51 euros) each.