FIFA reports ´huge´ World Cup ticket demand

FIFA said on Friday that ticket sales for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa were booming but world football’s governing body voiced caution about the potential impact of a prolonged economic crisis.

“There are at least 28 matches of the 64 that are sold out, the demand is huge,” said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke after a meeting of the executive committee.

Some 800,000 ticket requests had been made since tickets were opened for sale online on February 20, he added. The strongest demand came from the United States and England.

Valcke said the event’s major sponsors also gave no sign of reconsidering despite fears about the impact of cost-cutting on sports sponsorship.

FIFA said it had weathered the financial turmoil so far, as it reported an increase in its annual financial result in 2008 to 184 million dollars – compared to 49 million dollars the previous year.

FIFA’s equity stock also grew to 902 million dollars.

But officials also voiced caution since 95 percent of FIFA’s revenues over its four year financial period – 2007 to 2010 – depend on World Cup revenues from ticket sales, broadcast rights and corporate sponsorship.

“The financial and economic crisis is not yet over,” commented finance chief Markus Kattner.

The global economic crisis is proving to be harsher and more sustained than expected. Many countries are not forecasting a recovery until late this year or next year, and unemployment is rising.