More than 1 million tickets have already been sold for next year's World Cup, FIFA said in its first update on numbers since the official start of sales began earlier this month. The highest demand, as would be expected, were from buyers in the US, Canada and Mexico — the three nations that will play host to the tournament. FIFA said people from 212 different countries and territories have already purchased tickets, even though only 28 of the 48 spots in the field have been filled.
“As national teams across the globe compete for a place at the historic FIFA World Cup 26, I am thrilled so many football-loving fans also want to be part of this watershed event in North America,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a release.
He added, “It's an incredible response, and a wonderful sign that the biggest, most inclusive FIFA World Cup in history is capturing the imagination of supporters everywhere.” FIFA also announced that its resale site has opened — and tickets for the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey were available there at prices ranging from $9,538 to $57,500 per seat as of Thursday afternoon.
FIFA did not reveal any specific figures about how many tickets have been sold for certain matches or offer any breakdowns by host site. It also has not issued a grid of list prices for tickets, as it has for each previous World Cup since at least 1990.
FIFA's announcement came after President Donald Trump said earlier this week he may consider relocating World Cup matches set to be played in suburban Boston and other locations his administration deems unsafe.
The start of ticket sales doesn't take away from how there are unique questions for consumers heading into the tournament, particularly about how they'll get visas, if necessary, to visit the US as the country cracks down on immigration. An international friendly match between defending World Cup champion Argentina — featuring Lionel Messi — and Puerto Rico was moved from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, Florida because of lagging ticket sales that some believe were in response to the immigration crackdown.
Also read: Egypt qualify for 2026 World Cup, Ghana just a point away
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