The global appetite for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is staggering, with football's governing body reporting an unprecedented wave of ticket requests. FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that the organization has received a monumental 150 million requests for tickets to the upcoming tournament.
Unprecedented Demand for a Historic Tournament
The 2026 World Cup is set to be the largest in history, expanding to 48 teams and being hosted across 16 cities in three nations: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. This historic, cross-continental format appears to have captured the imagination of fans worldwide, leading to the record-shattering demand revealed by Infantino. The announcement underscores the event's status as a global sporting spectacle unlike any other.
Context and Scale of the Demand
President Infantino made the statement about the 150 million ticket requests on December 29, 2025. This figure provides the first concrete indicator of fan interest since the final draw for the tournament was held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Friday, December 5, 2025. The sheer volume of requests dramatically exceeds the number of actual seats that will be available, guaranteeing that the ticket allocation process will be highly competitive. For context, the total attendance for the entire 2018 World Cup in Russia was approximately 3.4 million.
What This Means for Fans and Host Nations
This tidal wave of interest has significant implications. For fans, securing tickets will likely involve a lottery system due to the overwhelming oversubscription. For the host nations, particularly Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver which will host matches, it signals an enormous influx of international visitors and a major economic boost. The demand validates FIFA's decision to expand the tournament and host it across North America, promising a festival of football that will dominate the summer of 2026.
The next steps will involve FIFA's detailed ticketing process, where these millions of requests will be processed and allocated. One thing is already clear: the world is ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
