MIAMI (AP) – More than 1 million tickets for next year’s World Cup have already been sold, FIFA announced Thursday in its first numbers update since sales officially began earlier this month.
As expected, the highest demand was from buyers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. three countries It will be the host of the tournament. FIFA announced that people in 212 countries and territories have already purchased it. 28 out of 48 spots The field is filled.
According to FIFA, the top 10 countries with tickets already purchased are England, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Argentina and France. The tournament will run from June 11th to July 19th.
“As national teams from around the world compete to qualify for the historic 26th FIFA World Cup, we are thrilled that so many soccer-loving fans want to join us for this watershed event in North America,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a release.
He added: “This is an incredible response and a great sign that the largest and most comprehensive FIFA World Cup in history is capturing the imagination of supporters around the world.”
FIFA also announced that a resale site is now open. Tickets for the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, are on sale as of Thursday afternoon, with prices ranging from $9,538 to $57,500 per seat.
FIFA did not provide specific numbers on how many tickets were sold for specific matches or a breakdown by site. It also does not issue a fixed price list for tickets, as it has done for every previous World Cup since at least 1990.
Buyers who purchased tickets during this initial sale were selected from a pool of 4.5 million applicants in a lottery held last month. FIFA announced that the entry period for the next draw will be open to fans on October 27, and said single match tickets for all 104 matches, as well as venue and team-specific tickets, will be on sale.
Based on listed stadium attendance numbers, approximately 7.1 million seats would be needed to fill the tournament’s 104 games at 16 venues across North America. It is unclear how many of these seats will be sold to the general public.
The lowest priced seats (set at $60) were available for at least 40 games, according to ticket data. Almost all seats for most games were priced much higher. The U.S. opener in Inglewood, Calif., ranged from $560 to $2,735 at the time of sale. On Thursday, resale sites listed at least one ticket for the June 12 U.S. season opener for $61,642.
Fans with purchase options can choose seats in one of four categories. Category 1 is what FIFA officials call the best seats, and Category 4 are seats near the top of the stadium. Ticket prices for soccer’s biggest event expected to fluctuate dynamic pricing first time.
Winners of the second lottery will be able to purchase from mid-November to early December. The third phase, known as the random draw, will begin after the World Cup schedule is determined by the final team draw on Dec. 5.
FIFA said tickets would also be sold on a “first come, first served” basis closer to the tournament.
Luka Doncic gets assist in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Lakers guard and Real Madrid fan Luka Doncic was announced Thursday as the newest ambassador for next year’s World Cup games in Southern California.
Dončić speaks four languages, making the Slovenian native a good fit to be part of the official group welcoming soccer to the Los Angeles area.
“I’ve always been a football fan,” Doncic said. “Los Angeles is a great city with so many great people who love playing and watching all sports. I can’t wait for the World Cup. I’m honored to help bring people together through a sport that unites so many cultures around the world.”
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