FIFA adds 1 million World Cup tickets for sale in second phase

FIFA began the process of selling another 1 million tickets for next year’s World Cup on Monday, with the opening of a new ticket draw marking the start of the tournament’s second phase of sales.

This draw, which runs through 11am Eastern Time on Friday, includes a domestic exclusivity time slot for residents of the three host countries – the United States, Canada and Mexico. Fans from those countries, whose entries are selected out of this draw, will have the opportunity to buy single-match tickets for games taking place in their home nation.

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The phase is open to all fans, regardless of which country they live in.

“We already have seen massive interest from around the world for this tournament, and especially from within the host countries as Canada, Mexico and the United States prepare to host the biggest FIFA World Cup yet,” said Heimo Schirgi, the tournament’s chief operating officer. “This second phase, with its host country domestic exclusivity time slot, will allow us to say ‘thank you’ to these local fans, while ensuring global opportunity as well.”

The fans from the US, Canada and Mexico who enter the draw before it closes Friday have a chance to receive, through what FIFA says is a randomised process, a time slot during which they can buy tickets starting on November 12. Those slots will be issued through November 15. Fans who win those chances will receive word at least 48 hours before their time slot opens.

Residents of the three host countries – the US, Canada and Mexico, in that order – bought more tickets than those from any other nation in the initial phase of ticketing. England, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Argentina and France, in that order, rounded out the top 10.

Once the domestic exclusivity time slot ends, more fans will be eligible to obtain a buying slot starting on November 17. Additional tickets will be made available in subsequent phases, FIFA said.

Uncertainty over visas, dynamic pricing model

FIFA announced earlier this month that more than 1 million tickets have already been sold for next year’s World Cup, with people from 212 different countries and territories having already bought them. So far, 28 of the 48 spots for teams in the field have been filled.

The start of ticket sales does not take away the unique questions for consumers heading into the tournament, particularly about how they will get visas, if necessary, to visit the US, as the country cracks down on immigration. An international friendly match between defending World Cup champion Argentina – featuring Lionel Messi – and Puerto Rico was moved from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, because of lagging ticket sales that some believe were in response to the immigration crackdown.

Based on the listed stadium attendance figures, there are roughly 7.1 million seats to fill for the 104 matches for the tournament around 16 North American venues. It is unknown how many of those seats will be available for sale to the public.

Ticket data has shown that the lowest-priced seats – set at $60 – were available for at least 40 matches. Almost all seats for the majority of matches were set at a much higher price. The opening match for the US team, to be played at Inglewood, California, had prices ranging from $560 to $2,735 when sales opened. On the resale site, at least one ticket for that opening US match on June 12 was listed for more than $60,000 earlier this month.

Fans with the option to buy could choose seats in one of four categories; Category 1 is what FIFA officials call the best seats, Category 4 is somewhere around the tops of stadiums. Ticket costs are expected to fluctuate as football’s biggest event uses dynamic pricing for the first time.