1.6m applications for World Cup tickets

More than 1.6 million ticket applications were received for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa by the end of the first sales phase, FIFA said yesterday. Only about 30 per cent of a total of 1,635,136 ticket applications came from residents of...

More than 1.6 million ticket applications were received for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa by the end of the first sales phase, FIFA said yesterday.

Only about 30 per cent of a total of 1,635,136 ticket applications came from residents of the host country.

The first sales phase closed at midnight on March 31.

FIFA had made 743,000 tickets available to the public via internet applications or for South African residents at local bank branches.

FIFA was pleased with the demand despite the sales figure being much lower than the six million who applied for a similar number of tickets during the first phase of sales for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

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