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