With each request verified by unique credit card information, fans submitted an average of 15 million ticket requests daily during the 33-day application period. Applications came from supporters in all countries and territories governed by FIFA’s 211 Member Associations, highlighting the truly worldwide appeal of the inaugural 48-team FIFA World Cup.
Besides the host nations – the United States, Mexico, and Canada – the most applications originated from fans in Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, and Colombia. The most sought-after match during this sales phase was Colombia vs. Portugal on Saturday, June 27, in Miami. The top five also included Mexico vs. Korea Republic in Guadalajara on Thursday, June 18; the final in New York New Jersey on Sunday, July 19; the tournament’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on Thursday, June 11; and a round-of-32 match in Toronto on Thursday, July 2, underscoring the immense attraction of both marquee fixtures and knockout-stage matchups across the three host countries.
“Half a billion ticket requests in just over a month is not merely demand – it’s a global statement. On behalf of FIFA, I would like to express gratitude to football fans worldwide for this remarkable response,” stated FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“Understanding how much this tournament means to people globally, our only regret is that we cannot accommodate every fan inside the stadiums. Thus, we are dedicated to providing various ways for fans to engage with the FIFA World Cup 2026 – through numerous fan experiences, both in-person and online – ensuring that as many people as possible can be involved in what will be the largest sporting event ever organized.”
After the conclusion of the Random Selection Draw application period, FIFA Ticketing will verify that ticket requests meet application criteria and household limits before tickets are allocated. Once this verification is complete, and where demand exceeds supply, tickets will be distributed through a random selection process to guarantee fairness and equal opportunity for all applicants.
Fans will be notified of the results of their ticket applications via email no earlier than February 5. All successful and partially successful ticket applicants will receive email communications and will subsequently be automatically charged for their tickets. A partially successful application indicates that a fan will receive some of the tickets requested for a match, but not all for every match requested. Fans who are unsuccessful in this phase will have another chance to acquire remaining tickets as the Last-Minute Sales phase opens closer to the tournament. This window, extending until the end of the tournament, will follow a first-come, first-served protocol for ticket sales. It is emphasized that FIFA.com/tickets is the official and preferred platform for purchasing tickets for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
