The excitement surrounding the upcoming World Cup has reached levels never seen before. FIFA confirmed that during the first ticket sales phase conducted through a random draw, it received more than 500 million ticket requests, a record-breaking figure that highlights the tournament’s massive global appeal and the overwhelming anticipation among fans.

The sales window lasted 33 days, from December 11 to January 13, and averaged close to 15 million requests per day, numbers that shattered all previous records in sports history. According to the world football governing body, ticket requests came from all 211 FIFA member associations and territories, underlining the truly global nature of the competition.

Historic Demand With Global Reach

The scale of interest exceeded even FIFA’s own expectations. Never before has a sporting event generated such an extraordinary volume of ticket requests in such a short period of time. While strong demand was expected from the host nations—Canada, United States, and Mexico—interest surged just as powerfully across traditional football markets.

Among the countries with the highest number of requests were Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, and Colombia, all regular contenders on the World Cup stage. In the case of Spain, its presence in the top 10 once again reflects the strong desire of its supporters to follow the national team at yet another World Cup.

Most In-Demand Matches Among Fans

The ticket frenzy also revealed which matches are generating the greatest excitement. The most requested game in this sales phase was Colombia vs Portugal, scheduled for June 27 in Miami, followed closely by Mexico vs South Korea, set to take place on June 18 in Guadalajara.

Other fixtures that attracted millions of requests include the World Cup final, scheduled for July 19 in New York–New Jersey, as well as the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, to be played on June 11 in Mexico City. A Round of 32 matchup on July 2 in Toronto also ranked among the most sought-after games, showing that fan interest extends far beyond the final stages.

Expectations Building Toward a Historic World Cup

With these staggering figures, FIFA has confirmed that the upcoming World Cup is on track to become one of the largest sporting events ever staged. The combination of multiple host nations, iconic venues, and globally followed national teams has triggered an intense race among fans to secure a seat in the stands.

While additional ticket sales phases are still to come, the message is already clear: the passion for football is stronger than ever, and the World Cup is shaping up to be a truly historic spectacle both on and off the pitch.

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