Only a third of World Cup tickets on public sale

Just over a third of the 2.93 million tickets for the 2006 World Cup finals will be guaranteed for public sale to ordinary fans, organisers said.

The first two-month sales window opens at midnight on February 1, releasing 812,000 tickets under a lottery system for the tournament which begins on June 9 next year.

Organisers are promising a further 300,000 tickets for fans in subsequent sales up to January 2006, taking the total to just over 1.1 million.

National associations, tournament sponsors, media, VIPs and the so-called German Football Family are offered the rest of the tickets, with any unused tickets from those groups to go back on public sale.

Participating nations will get eight per cent of the tickets for each of their matches.

Organisers say they are making it easier for ordinary fans to see games by making available 260,000 cheap "category four" tickets, starting at €35 for group phase matches.

Fans will be able to apply for up to two of the cheapest tickets per household for up to three matches.

For the higher category tickets, priced from €45, the limit on applications will be four tickets for up to seven games.

Demand is expected to dwarf supply and organisers are seeking to avoid internet chaos on February 1 by dealing with ticket applications in a lottery at the end of the first sales period, rather than on a "first come, first served" basis.

"People should take their time, study the match schedule, and then apply within the given time frame," organising committee vice-president Horst R. Schmidt said.

A draw will take place on April 15 to assign tickets to lucky applicants. Any unsold tickets from that first batch will go back on sale on a "first come, first served" basis from May 1 to November 15.

The second lot of sales, again on a lottery basis, will take place from December 1 to January 15, 2006, with any remaining tickets available from February 1 to April 15 in order of application.

Any last-minute sales will take place from May 2006 right up to the final on July 9.

Fans will also be able to apply for tickets in the first sales window to follow a particular team throughout the tournament. If a fan's chosen team does not qualify, or goes out of the tournament, refunds will be available.

The World Cup finals, featuring 32 teams, kick off on June 9, 2006.