New Delhi: The craze for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has reached unprecedented levels, with ticket requests crossing the 500 million mark worldwide. The massive demand highlights the tournament’s global appeal even as concerns continue over the high cost of attending matches.
Ticket applications were received from fans across all 211 footballing nations and territories, reflecting widespread enthusiasm for the event, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The application window for the lottery based ticket allocation closed earlier this week, and applicants are expected to be informed about the status of their requests in early February.
Demand has been particularly strong beyond the host countries, with fans from Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Colombia submitting the highest number of requests. This surge underlines football’s enduring popularity in both traditional powerhouses and emerging markets.
Among individual matches, the most sought after ticket has been Colombia’s group stage clash against Portugal in Miami on June 27. This was followed closely by Mexico’s match against South Korea in Guadalajara on June 18. The final, scheduled to be held in New Jersey on July 19, also ranked among the most requested fixtures, drawing global interest months ahead of kickoff.
The overwhelming response has been described as a powerful statement of football’s unifying influence across cultures and continents. While organisers welcomed the extraordinary interest, they also acknowledged that stadium capacity limitations mean millions of fans will be unable to attend matches in person.
At the same time, the ticketing process has attracted criticism from supporter groups over pricing. Many fans have expressed concern that ticket costs for the expanded 48 team tournament are significantly higher than previous editions, placing a financial strain on supporters hoping to attend multiple matches.
In response to the backlash, organisers introduced a new category of lower priced tickets in December, offering limited availability at 60 US dollars per seat. The move was aimed at making the tournament more accessible to a broader audience while balancing the logistical and commercial demands of hosting the largest World Cup in history.
With demand already exceeding expectations, the World Cup 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most watched and followed sporting events ever, reaffirming football’s status as the world’s most popular sport.
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