FIFA announces 23.5M World Cup tickets requested; Messi's Argentina in full demand

FIFA, the world's football governing body, released information on Friday on ticket demand for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which will begin in November. According to FIFA, 23.5 million ticket requests were filed from all across the world during the most recent random selection draw sales period, which ended on April 28. According to the data, Argentina leads the pack in terms of the most number of ticket applications submitted by a single country.

Brazil, England, France, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and the United States are the next countries on the list in terms of ticket demand for the group stage fixtures of the upcoming World Cup. Argentina vs. Mexico, Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia, England vs. the USA, and Poland vs. Argentina are the most popular matches amongst fans who have applied for the tickets.

"In the latest sales period, Qatari residents continued to demonstrate their support for the World Cup, joined among the top applicants by fans living in Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and the USA. In addition to eager applications for the final, the most coveted matches included Argentina v. Mexico, Argentina v. Saudi Arabia, England v. USA, and Poland v. Argentina," FIFA said in its statement. 

Argentina features in three of the top four most in-demand matches, demonstrating Lionel Messi's enduring appeal even as he nears the end of his career. Fans are aware that the upcoming World Cup may be Messi's last major international competition, as seen by the high demand for tickets to Argentina's games.

Allocation of tickets

Before allocating the tickets, FIFA will verify that the requests submitted by fans meet the sales regulations and household restrictions. FIFA has said that the tickets will be allocated via a random selection draw process in case the demand exceeds the number of tickets available for sale. Fans who have submitted requests for tickets will be notified of the sale by email next month. Those who are able to secure tickets for the 2022 World Cup will be required to apply for Hayya Card and book accommodation. 

"Fans who did not apply or succeed in this random selection draw sales period will have another chance to secure some of the most sought-after tickets on the planet during the next first-come, first-served period, which will launch on FIFA.com/tickets in due course," the statement added. 

Image: AP