More than 4.5 million people, the majority from the United States, applied to buy 2026 FIFA World Cup tickets during the first presale draw, FIFA said in a news release on Friday hours after the close of this presale period limited to Visa credit card holders.
Mexico and Canada, the other two host nations for the tournament, were the other countries with the most ticket draw applicants. FIFA did not reveal the totals per country.
Those picked to buy tickets from this sale window, which ran from Sept. 9-19, will be notified starting Sept. 29 and will be given a timeslot to purchase starting Oct. 1.
"These are not only outstanding figures, but also a strong statement," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said. "The whole world wants to be part of the FIFA World Cup 26: the biggest, most inclusive and most exciting event ever seen. From Canada, Mexico and the United States to countries big and small across every continent, fans are proving once again that the passion for football truly unites, as they are looking forward to attending matches in all three host nations."
While tickets for all 104 matches are being put on sale, receiving a timeslot does not guarantee tickets will be available and sales will be capped at four tickets per person per match, with no person being able to purchase more than 40 for the totality of the tournament.
A second phase, called an early ticket draw, will begin on Oct. 27, with purchase time slots from mid-November to early December.
A third phase, termed a random selection draw, will start after the final draw takes places on Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C., to determine the World Cup schedule. FIFA said tickets will be available closer to the tournament "on a first-come, first-served basis."
FIFA also said it will start an official resale platform on Oct. 2.
The 2026 World Cup will be played across 16 cities in North America. Eight matches, including the final, will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a short train ride from New York City.
Ticket prices for next year's FIFA World Cup will range initially from $60 for group stage matches to $6,730 for the final, but could change as soccer's top event adopts dynamic pricing for the first time.
The prices are up from a range of $25 to $475 from the 1994 tournament in the United States and the U.S. dollar equivalent of $69 to $1,607 when ticket details were announced for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Dynamic pricing was also used for this year's FIFA Club World Cup, when tickets were cut from $473.90 to $13.40 for the semifinal between Chelsea and Fluminense at MetLife Stadium.
Germany, England, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Spain and Italy rounded out the top 10 countries joining this waiting list for presale tickets. Fans from 216 countries and territories entered applications into the ticket draw, FIFA said.