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#FIFA #World #Cup #million #tickets #requested #Infantino">FIFA World Cup 2026 — More than 500 million tickets requested for WC: Infantino FIFA President Gianni Infantino said demand for tickets to the 2026 World Cup had reached unprecedented levels, with 500 million requests already recorded for the expanded 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“You’ve heard, there were many discussions about the ticketing of the World Cup,” Infantino said at the FIFA Congress on Thursday. “We had 500 million ticket requests — 500 million ticket requests. In the last two World Cups together, we had 50 million ticket requests. Here, 500 million.”
Infantino said FIFA had already sold the vast majority of tickets released so far.
“We’ve sold 100 per cent of the inventory that we’ve put on the market, which is, more or less, 90% of the global inventory so far,” he said. “And of course, we are always putting tickets on the market.”
Ticketing has emerged as a sensitive issue in the build-up to the tournament, with concerns raised about affordability and access for local fans.
“There are expensive tickets, yes, but there are also affordable tickets,” Infantino added.
Football’s global governing body is expected to continue releasing batches of tickets in phases, a strategy designed to manage demand while maximising revenue for what is set to be the most lucrative World Cup in history.
Published on May 01, 2026
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said demand for tickets to the 2026 World Cup had reached…
Sports news
#FIFA #World #Cup #SoFi #Stadium #workers #request #ban #ICE #tournament #threaten #strike">FIFA World Cup 2026 — SoFi Stadium workers request ban of ICE from tournament, threaten strike otherwise
A union representing about 2,000 food service workers at SoFi Stadium said on Monday it was demanding that FIFA keep U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement away from World Cup operations in Los Angeles and warned workers could strike if their concerns are not addressed.
Unite Here Local 11, which represents cooks, servers and bartenders at the Inglewood venue, said the workers remain without a labour contract as the World Cup approaches.
The union laid out three main demands to FIFA and stadium owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment: a public commitment that ICE and Border Patrol will play no role in the tournament, protections for union jobs and working conditions, and support for affordable housing for hospitality workers.
Acting Department of Homeland Security Director Todd Lyons has said that ICE would play a “key part” in the World Cup, a prospect the union said threatened worker and guest safety in Los Angeles.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives from SoFi Stadium declined to comment.
Local 11 said it also wanted assurances that artificial intelligence and automation would not be used during the tournament to eliminate union jobs.
The union linked its labour demands to broader concerns over housing costs in the Los Angeles area, particularly in Inglewood, and called for support for a workforce housing fund, restrictions on short-term rentals and tax measures aimed at funding affordable housing and immigrant family protections.
“FIFA and its corporate sponsors will pocket billions from Los Angeles while refusing to even acknowledge the cooks, servers, and stand attendants who make this event possible,” Kurt Petersen, co-president of Local 11, said in a statement.
The union said it had repeatedly sought meetings with FIFA since Los Angeles was chosen as a host city, but had been ignored. Los Angeles is set to host eight World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium, the first being the U.S. against Paraguay on June 12.
Published on Apr 07, 2026
A union representing about 2,000 food service workers at SoFi Stadium said on Monday it was demanding that FIFA keep U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement away from World Cup operations in Los Angeles and warned workers could strike if their concerns are not addressed.
Unite Here Local 11, which represents cooks, servers and bartenders at the Inglewood venue, said the workers remain without a labour contract as the World Cup approaches.
The union laid out three main demands to FIFA and stadium owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment: a public commitment that ICE and Border Patrol will play no role in the tournament, protections for union jobs and working conditions, and support for affordable housing for hospitality workers.
Acting Department of Homeland Security Director Todd Lyons has said that ICE would play a “key part” in the World Cup, a prospect the union said threatened worker and guest safety in Los Angeles.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives from SoFi Stadium declined to comment.
Local 11 said it also wanted assurances that artificial intelligence and automation would not be used during the tournament to eliminate union jobs.
The union linked its labour demands to broader concerns over housing costs in the Los Angeles area, particularly in Inglewood, and called for support for a workforce housing fund, restrictions on short-term rentals and tax measures aimed at funding affordable housing and immigrant family protections.
“FIFA and its corporate sponsors will pocket billions from Los Angeles while refusing to even acknowledge the cooks, servers, and stand attendants who make this event possible,” Kurt Petersen, co-president of Local 11, said in a statement.
The union said it had repeatedly sought meetings with FIFA since Los Angeles was chosen as a host city, but had been ignored. Los Angeles is set to host eight World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium, the first being the U.S. against Paraguay on June 12.
Published on Apr 07, 2026
A union representing about 2,000 food service workers at SoFi Stadium said on Monday it…