LOS ANGELES: FIFA revealed on Friday that it received an astonishing five million ticket requests within the first 24 hours of the latest sales phase for the 2026 World Cup, underlining the massive global appetite for the expanded tournament despite growing anger over soaring prices.
Fans from more than 200 countries and territories applied through FIFA.com for seats at the first-ever 48-team World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The surge in demand comes amid criticism from Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which has urged FIFA to halt sales of national team allocations. The group accused the governing body of setting “extortionate” prices, claiming ticket costs have risen five-fold compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, potentially pricing out ordinary supporters.
High-profile group-stage matches have driven early interest, with Colombia’s clash against Portugal in Miami on June 27 emerging as the most sought-after fixture so far. Other popular games include Brazil vs Morocco in New York/New Jersey, Mexico vs South Korea in Guadalajara, Ecuador vs Germany in New York/New Jersey, and Scotland vs Brazil in Miami.
After the three host nations, the strongest demand came from fans based in Colombia, England, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Scotland, Germany, Australia, France and Panama. FIFA said the strong showing from South and Central America highlighted the tournament’s growing appeal across the region, while Scotland’s presence reflected excitement over their return to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.
