More than one million tickets for the 2026 World Cup have been sold during a pre-sale phase, world football's governing body FIFA said.
Fans from 212 countries and territories purchased tickets during a Visa pre-sale period, which opened in mid-September, FIFA said.
Demand was led by residents of the three host nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — followed by England, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Argentina and France.
Ticket prices ranged from a $60 (€51) for a small number of category 4 seats up to $2,735 (€2,340) for a category 1 seat to watch the USA play in Los Angeles. General admission ticket prices for the final in New Jersey will range from $2,030 (€1,736.46) to $6,000 (€5,132).
"What an exciting milestone on the road to 2026," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. "Today we celebrate surpassing the one-million-ticket mark after the Visa pre-sales, a fantastic proof that the most ambitious and inclusive FIFA World Cup ever is generating huge global excitement."
A total of 28 teams have already qualified for the tournament, which will be the first to feature 48 nations, in 104 matches across 16 cities, and the first to be hosted by three countries.
The Republic of Ireland retain a slim hope of qualifying while Northern Ireland's prospects of making a play-off look healthier.
The first public sales phase will open on 27 October, offering individual match tickets as well as stadium-specific and team-specific packages, FIFA said.
An official ticket resale platform has also been launched to protect fans from invalid or unauthorised resales.
Meanwhile, senior figures behind the tournament have dismissed concerns that US president Donald Trump could move matches from cities he does not deem "safe".
Republican president Trump said last month that he would consider moving games from Democrat-controlled San Francisco and Seattle if they did not cooperate with his immigration and crime initiatives.
He raised the issue again this week, this time targeting Boston and its Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu, suggesting he could appeal directly to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino.
John Kristick, who led Canada, Mexico and the United States' successful bid to jointly host the 2026 finals, emphasised that planning has been underway for nearly a decade and remains unaffected by political rhetoric.
"From what I'm seeing, there's been zero distraction in terms of the preparedness," Kristick, co-head of global events at Playfly Sports Consulting said.
"Tickets are already being sold. Hospitality packages have been sold for almost a year now."
The United States will account for 11 of the 16 host cities as the quadrennial soccer showcase returns to the US for the first time since 1994, when the tournament sparked a new era for the sport in a country long ambivalent to it.
Earlier this year, Miami World Cup officials moved to allay fears that the United States' stricter immigration stance under Trump could deter overseas fans that it hopes to attract.
FIFA previously said that the global governing body for soccer has the final say on whether to move the 2026 World Cup but this week noted: "Safety and security are obviously the governments' responsibility.
"They decide what is in the best interest for public safety," FIFA added.
"We hope every one of our 16 host cities will be ready to successfully host and fulfil all necessary requirements."
Ricardo Trade, CEO of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Local Organising Committee, said the abundance of good stadiums in the United States would make the possibility of relocating games "feasible," so long as it does not happen after the 5 December draw.
"In a country like the United States, where every state has large, ready-to-use stadiums, I don't see why it wouldn’t be possible," said Trade, who also served as CEO of the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 in the US.
New York and New Jersey, responsible for eight games, including the final, have maintained their focus, said NYNJ Host Committee CEO Alex Lasry, with daily fan festivals planned across the country's biggest metropolitan region.
"We've spoken to FIFA, we're working with the White House Task Force, I don't think there's any worry about the games being moved," said Lasry.
"I have no concern, but if you know, anyone wants to move games, from Chicago to here or from anywhere to here, we're more than excited to have more games."
