By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer
MIAMI (AP) — Not even half of the spots in the 48-team field have been claimed. The schedule of matches won’t be finalized until December. And other than host nations U.S., Canada and Mexico, nobody has any idea where or when they’ll be playing.
Millions of soccer fans worldwide evidently don’t seem to mind any of those points.
Tickets to next year’s FIFA World Cup officially go on sale Wednesday. The buyers will be those who were selected, out of 4.5 million applicants in a lottery that took place last month, to have the first formal chance to purchase tickets over the next few days. FIFA said lottery winners have been, or will soon be, informed by email.
There are unique questions for consumers heading into the tournament, particularly about how they’ll get visas, if necessary, to visit the U.S. as the country cracks down on immigration. There are also more traditional concerns such as who, when and where — and none of those will be answered until the draw on Dec. 5. FIFA knows many fans won’t fret about those answers; they’ll just want tickets now and will figure out the rest later.
“These are not only outstanding figures, but also a strong statement,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on social media, reacting to the 4.5 million applicants for a spot in the purchase window that opened Wednesday. “The whole world wants to be part of the FIFA World Cup 26, the biggest, most inclusive and most exciting event ever. From Canada, Mexico and the United States, to countries big and small across every continent, fans are proving once again passion for football truly unites.”
In divided times, the notion of soccer being something that “truly unites” will be put to the test.
Here are some things to know as tickets go on sale.
What’s for sale?
Fans can purchase seats in one of four categories; Category 1 is the best seats, Category 4 is somewhere around the tops of stadiums. Ticket prices will range initially from $60 for group-stage matches to $6,730 for the final but could — and almost certainly will — change as soccer’s biggest event utilizes dynamic pricing for the first time.
There are other ways to get tickets other than shelling out big bucks. American Airlines announced last month that its AAdvantage loyalty program members can redeem miles for World Cup tickets, starting Oct. 13 for executive platinum and concierge key members, then Oct. 14 for platinum pro, platinum and gold members, followed on Oct. 15 by all members.
And starting Thursday, some Verizon customers will have access to free World Cup tickets and other perks. The telecommunications giant is a World Cup sponsor and will simply start dropping free ticket chances to its customers through its app.
“For me, there are few things as exciting as experiencing football live, whether that’s on or off the pitch, and so I am proud to partner with Verizon to celebrate their plans to give fans unprecedented access to the tournament,” said soccer icon David Beckham, part of Verizon’s promotion for the World Cup.
Who’s in?
The U.S., Mexico and Canada all automatically qualified as host nations. Also in so far: defending champion Argentina, Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Uzbekistan, Jordan, South Korea, Brazil, Australia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Tunisia, Colombia, Paraguay and Morocco.
That leaves 30 spots still unclaimed.
FIFA said fans from 216 countries and territories applied to be part of the first ticket lottery. The top three nations of interest, to no surprise, were the hosts: the U.S., Mexico and Canada, in that order. The rest of the top 10, also in order of application totals: Germany, England, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Spain and Italy.
Nobody has said how many tickets FIFA plans to sell in this first window. Availability won’t be depleted; based on the listed stadium attendance figures, there are roughly 7.1 million seats to fill for the 104 matches around 16 North American venues, though it’s unknown how many of those seats will be available for sale to the public.
Will visitors travel to the U.S.?
There is an immigration crackdown unfolding across the U.S., which could dampen overseas interest in traveling to the country. U.S. tourism officials have already noted a drop in overseas visitors this year and even organizers in some U.S. host cities have acknowledged that political dynamics may have an impact on attendance.
Adding to some of the uncertainty, President Donald Trump, who has a close relationship with Infantino, has suggested that the host cities could be changed if he wants to move some events away from places his administration considers unsafe.
The U.S. cities that are scheduled to host are East Rutherford, New Jersey; Inglewood, California; Foxborough, Massachusetts; Houston; Arlington, Texas; Atlanta; Seattle; Santa Clara, California; Philadelphia; Kansas City, Missouri and Miami Gardens, Florida.
“If any city we think is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup … we won’t allow it to go there,” Trump said last week. “We’ll move it around a little bit. But I hope that’s not going to happen.”
The State Department says that “the safety and security of the United States” along with “World Cup matches, athletes, fans, and venues” are the top priorities with regard to its role in the World Cup process. It also suggests that travelers who need a visa should start applying now, and officials have said the U.S. is trying “to ensure an efficient, smooth, and effective visa process.”
What’s next?
A second phase, called an early ticket draw, likely will run from Oct. 27-31, with purchase timeslots from mid-November to early December. A third phase, termed a random selection draw, will start after the final draw of teams on Dec. 5 determines the World Cup schedule.
Tickets will also be available closer to the tournament “on a first-come, first-served basis.” FIFA also said it will start an official resale platform.
Some tickets have already been snagged; hospitality packages have been sold since May.
“The world will come together in North America,” Infantino promised, “like never before.”
The tournament runs from June 11 through July 19.
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