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Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
FIFA to launch 2026 World Cup ticketing process in September
FIFA has announced that the process to purchase tickets for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico, the United States, and Canada will launch on September 10, urging fans looking to attend games to formally register their interest on its website. The announcement on Monday came a day after the FIFA Club World Cup concluded in the US, a tournament that the international governing body for football hailed as a 'rousing success'. 'We're looking forward to welcoming the world back to North America, as Canada, Mexico and the United States host what will be the biggest and greatest sporting event ever,' FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement. 'We encourage fans everywhere to get ready to secure their place – these will be the most coveted seats in world sport.' FIFA did not provide details for how the tickets will be released, but it said on September 10, pre-registered fans will be able to 'apply for their first chance to buy tickets'. 'There will be several distinct ticket sales phases from the start of sales on 10 September 2025, through to the final match on Sunday, 19 July 2026,' FIFA said. 'Each phase may differ in purchasing processes, payment methods and ticket products, and full details on each phase will be released in the coming months.' The World Cup will kick off in Mexico City on June 11 next year and conclude in New Jersey on July 19. With the tournament expanded to 48 teams, it will see 104 games, with Canada and Mexico hosting 13 matches each. The rest of the games will take place in the US, including all the fixtures from the quarterfinal onwards. The US had a de facto test run for the big tournament with the Club World Cup that kicked off last month, with mixed results. While the final at MetLife Stadium, which saw Premier League giants Chelsea beat European champions Paris Saint-Germain 3-0, attracted a sold-out crowd of over 81,000 people, some games saw an abysmally low turnout. The searing hot weather also proved to be a challenge for players and fans, especially during midday games. However, many matches drew large crowds and a festive atmosphere, as well as some notable footballing upsets. US President Donald Trump appeared to take a strong interest in the tournament. He hosted Italian club Juventus at the White House when the team was in Washington, DC, for a group stage game last month. He attended the final in New Jersey and joined Chelsea players on stage for the trophy presentation. However, Trump's restrictive immigration policies have sparked concerns about the ability of international fans to visit the US next year. In June, the US president imposed travel bans and restrictions on citizens of 19 countries, including Iran, whose national team has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup. While football is known as the world's game, the sport has been behind American football, baseball and basketball in popularity in the US. Still, football has been steadily gaining interest in the country over the past decade, a trend accelerated by Argentinian great Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami in 2023. Qatar hosted the last World Cup in 2022, with Argentina lifting the trophy for the third time in their history, cementing the status of Messi as one of the greatest players of all time.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Infantino: Club World Cup Has Been Huge Success But Others Disagree
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 12: FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a media scrum at the ... More Trump Tower ahead of FIFA Club World Cup Final on July 12, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by) A day prior to the final, FIFA President Gianni Infantino claimed that the FIFA Club World Cup "has been a huge, huge, huge success" and that the "golden era of football has started." However, there might be some other individuals out there in the soccer universe to think otherwise, especially players and coaches, who have had to endure the heat and thunderstorms of the U.S. summer. "We can say definitely that this FIFA Club World Cup has been a huge, huge, huge success." Infantino said during a press conference in Manhattan in New York City on Saturday morning, according to "Of course, there are a lot of positives, some negatives." Infantino did not mention the negatives. "We respect everyone's opinion," he said. "It has been successful. We have had over 2.5 million in the stadiums. That's around 40,000 spectators per match - there is no league in the world with that number, except the Premier League which, of course, has home teams and these are neutral stadiums. "We heard financially it would not work but I can say we generated over $2 billion in revenues with this competition. We earned on average $33 million per match. There is no other cup competition in the world that comes close to $33 million per match. "It is already the most successful club competition in the world with all different measurements." On the financial end, it appears to have been successful. But some, and perhaps many of the participants, such as players and coaches, would disagree. They will note that many matches were played in the afternoon, at noon and 3 p.m., when the temperatures are either rising or at their highest. 'The worst idea' LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 30: Juergen Klopp, Manager of Liverpool, reacts during the Premier ... More League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 30, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by) During the tournament, former Liverpool head coach Juergen Klopp called the CWC, "the worst idea ever implemented in football." "In the end, it's all about the game and not the surrounding aspects - and that's why the Club World Cup is the worst idea ever implemented in football in this regard," he told Welt in Germany. "People who have never had anything to do with day-to-day business or who no longer have anything to do with it come up with something. "Last year we had the Copa America and European Championship, this year the Club World Cup and next year then the World Cup. "This means no real recovery for the players who are there, neither physically nor mentally." PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 04: Enzo Fernandez #8 of Chelsea FC celebrates following the FIFA ... More Club World Cup 2025 quarter final match between SE Palmeiras and Chelsea FC at Lincoln Financial Field on July 04, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) On Friday, Chelsea captain and defender Enzo Fernandez, a member of the Argentine squad that captured the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, complained about competing in the scorching heat. "Honestly, the heat is incredible," he said during a press conference. The other day I had to lie down on the ground because I was really dizzy. Playing in this temperature is very dangerous, it's very dangerous. Moreover, for the spectacle, for the people who come to enjoy the stadium, for the people who watch it at home. "The game, the speed of the game is not the same, everything becomes very slow. Well, let's hope that next year they change the schedule, at least so that it remains a beautiful and attractive football spectacle, right?" And that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, of other players and coaches criticizing playing in the heat. MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 05: FIFA President Gianni Infantino presents The FIFA Club World Cup ... More Trophy during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Draw at Telemundo Studios on December 05, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by) In terms of avoiding the heat, Infantino said that in contrast to the Club World Cup, the 2026 World Cup will have four stadiums with roofs - Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Dallas (AT&T Stadium), Houston (NRG Stadium) and Vancouver (BC Place). It should be noted that there is a dozen other 2026 World Cup venues that won't have roofs and will be susceptible to weather (heat and thunderstorms). Atlanta was the lone indoor facility at the Club World Cup. The FIFA president said that added that his organization is studying methods to improve playing conditions. "Every criticism we receive is a source for us to study and analyze what can do better," Infantino added. "Of course, the heat is an issue. Last year, at the Olympic Games in Paris, games during the day, in all sports, took place in very hot conditions. 'Cooling breaks are very important, and we will see what we can do, but we have stadiums with roofs, and we will definitely use these stadiums during the day next year.' WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 28: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and FIFA President Gianni Infantino ... More pose for photographs with a soccer uniform in the Oval Office at the White House August 28, 2018 in Washington, DC. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and will be the first World Cup in history to be held in three countries at the same time. (Photo by) Infantino said that that U.S. President Donald Trump will attend Sunday's final between UEFA Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Conference League champion Chelsea. Earlier in the week, Infantino announced that FIFA would open an office at Trump Tower. "President Trump will be at the final," he said, according to "He loves soccer. In his first term as President there was a soccer goal in the White House garden. "President Trump is the President of the U.S., one of the host countries for the World Cup, and he embraced immediately the Club World Cup as well. "Events like these are huge events. You can't stage tournaments like this without his support."
