More than 1.5 million ticket applications from fans in 210 countries have been received by FIFA within 24 hours of the presale draw for the 2026 World Cup being launched, the governing body of world soccer said on Thursday.
The extraordinary global demand for the tournament came primarily from the United States, Mexico and Canada, followed by Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, England, Spain, Portugal and Germany.
The response highlighted the international appeal of the expanded 48-team tournament which will be hosted by Mexico, Canada and the U.S. and will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities.
The draw is open until 11:00 ET (17:00 CET) on September 19, and the time of entry does not affect fans' chances of securing tickets.
Successful applicants will be notified via email starting September 29 and given designated time slots to purchase tickets beginning October 1.
Tickets will start at $60, yet dynamic pricing will be in operation during the first phase of ticket sales with fans paying different prices according to market demand. Additional ticket sales phases are scheduled to begin in October.
Algeria kept up their winning run at the Africa Cup of Nations, making it three out of three in Group E as they beat Equatorial Guinea 3-1 on Wednesday to reaffirm their status among the tournament favourites.
The DP World ILT20 "Power 9 Golf Day" saw cricketers, commentators, match officials, partners and other key stakeholders take to the course for a relaxed afternoon on Wednesday, alongside professional golfer Richard Mansell at the award-winning Els Club in Dubai.
Two Equatorial Guinea players have been banned for insulting a referee at the Africa Cup of Nations and Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore was fined for post-match remarks, the respective football federations said on Wednesday.
Egypt international Ramadan Sobhi, who helped Pyramids win their first CAF Champions League title last season and previously played in the English Premier League, has been sentenced to one year in prison in connection with an academic fraud case, local media reported on Tuesday.
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