Football's global governing body FIFA said Wednesday it had received more than 500 million requests for tickets to this year's World Cup despite rumbling controversy over sky-high prices to attend the event. FIFA said fans would be notified of whether their requests had been successful "no earlier than 5 February." "Half a billion ticket requests in just over a month is more than demand - it's a global statement," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said ticket prices were almost five times higher than at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Those criticisms prompted FIFA to introduce a new category of cut-price tickets in December set at 60 US dollars (51 euros) each.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 15, 2026 06:09 UTC