FIFA has over a million WC tickets applications

Over one million World Cup ticket applications have been received by FIFA online and the majority of them are from South Africans, the local organising committee said on Friday.

“The number of applications has far exceeded FIFA’s and the Local Organising Committee’s expectations. Not surprisingly, the country that has submitted the largest number of applications is South Africa followed by the United Kingdom and the USA,” the committee said in a statement.

There are only 743,000 available tickets for the first phase of sales which ends on March 31.

“We have had a phenomenal response from football fans around the world. We do expect a last-minute rush over the next few days to beat the deadline, particularly in South Africa, said FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke.

About 50 percent of the applications made so far have been for the Team Specific Series, which allows fans to follow their team of choice as it progresses through the tournament.

Valcke said this trend showed that the method which was first introduced in 2002 was gaining popularity.

All applicants will know by the end of April 2009 whether they have been successful or not.

The second sales period will begin on May 4 and will be open until 16 November.

Remaining tickets will then be allocated on a “first come first served, subject to availability basis”.

The local organising committee had earlier this month voiced concern about poor demand for the Confederations Cup tickets, a curtain-raiser for the World Cup to be played in South Africa in June.