Football’s world governing body, FIFA, announced on Wednesday that it had received more than 500 million ticket requests for this year’s World Cup, even as criticism continues to grow over the high cost of attending matches.
In a statement, FIFA said applications were submitted by fans across all 211 of its member nations and territories for the tournament, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The application window for the ticket lottery, which will be used to allocate seats, officially closed on Tuesday. FIFA noted that applicants would be informed about the outcome of their requests “no earlier than 5 February.”
According to the organisation, demand was strongest outside the host countries from supporters in Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Colombia.
The match attracting the highest number of ticket requests was Colombia’s group-stage encounter with Portugal in Miami on June 27. This was followed by Mexico’s match against South Korea in Guadalajara on June 18, and the World Cup final scheduled to take place in New Jersey on July 19.
“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.”
Despite the overwhelming interest, FIFA has come under intense scrutiny for its ticket pricing approach for the expanded 48-team competition. Supporter organisations have described the prices as “extortionate” and “astronomical.”
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said ticket costs for the upcoming tournament were nearly five times higher than those at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In response to the backlash, FIFA introduced a new category of lower-priced tickets in December, offering seats at 60 US dollars (51 euros) in an effort to make the tournament more accessible to fans.
What you should know
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest in history, featuring 48 teams and matches spread across three host countries.
While fan interest has reached unprecedented levels, the tournament has also sparked debate over affordability, with many supporters concerned that rising ticket prices could limit access.
FIFA’s introduction of discounted tickets suggests an attempt to balance commercial goals with fan inclusion, but criticism over pricing remains a major issue ahead of the competition.
