FIFA announced on Monday that it has received over 150 million ticket requests for the 2026 World Cup, setting a new record at the halfway point of the Random Selection Draw phase.
Since the ticketing phase opened on December 11 at FIFA.com/tickets, fans from more than 200 countries and regions have accessed the platform. The phase will close on January 13, 2026.
FIFA stated that the 2026 World Cup is oversubscribed by more than 30 times, based on verified individual credit card numbers submitted with each ticket application. Demand is reportedly 3.4 times higher than the total number of spectators who have attended all 964 matches across the 22 editions of the competition since 1930.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be the greatest and most inclusive show on the planet,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino. “This overwhelming response from passionate fans truly represents how our game is loved globally. We are going to make history in North America, bringing the world together like never before in a celebration of unity and the best of football.”
At the same time, Infantino has claimed that World Cup ticket revenue is necessary for sustaining football in 150 countries.
The sport’s governing body has faced heavy criticism after ticket prices for the 2026 tournament were revealed, which are the most expensive in World Cup history.
At the World Sports Summit in Dubai on Monday, Infantino spoke publicly for the first time since those ticket prices were announced.
“What’s crucial is that the revenues that are generated from this go back into the game all over the world,” said the 55-year-old.
“Without FIFA, there would be no football in 150 countries in the world. There is football because of, and thanks to, these revenues we generate with the World Cup, which we reinvest all over the world.”
The 2026 World Cup will commence on June 11, with the final scheduled for July 19. The tournament will be held across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and will feature a record 48 teams competing in a total of 104 matches.
