FIFA has confirmed that it received five million ticket requests within the first 24 hours of the latest sales phase for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite criticism over high ticket prices.
The tournament will be the first World Cup to feature 48 teams and will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
Fans from more than 200 countries applied for tickets through FIFA.com during the opening day of sales on Friday.
However, concerns have been raised by Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which has called for a halt to national team ticket sales. The organization described FIFA’s pricing as “extortionate” and warned that ordinary supporters could be priced out of attending matches.
According to FSE, ticket prices are up to five times higher than those of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
FIFA said early demand has been driven mainly by high-profile group-stage matches. The most requested fixture so far is Colombia vs Portugal, scheduled to take place in Miami on 27 June.
Other highly requested matches include Brazil vs Morocco in New York/New Jersey on 13 June, Mexico vs South Korea in Guadalajara on 18 June, Ecuador vs Germany in New York/New Jersey on 25 June, and Scotland vs Brazil in Miami on 24 June.
After the three host nations, the countries with the highest number of ticket applications are Colombia, England, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Scotland, Germany, Australia, France, and Panama.
FIFA stated that strong interest from South and Central America highlights the regional appeal of the tournament. The organization also noted that Scotland’s presence among the top applicant countries reflects excitement over the nation’s return to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.
The Random Selection Draw phase for ticket sales will remain open until 13 January. FIFA has stressed that the timing of applications does not affect the likelihood of success.
Fans can apply for tickets by selecting specific matches, ticket categories, and quantities, subject to household limits. If an application is successful, payment will be processed automatically.