2010: over a million ticket bookings
31 March 2009
Online applications for more than one million tickets have been received from over 160 countries for the 743 000 tickets on sale during the first sales phase for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
"This excludes any applications handed in by South African residents at FNB branches in the host country," the 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC) said in a statement on Friday.
Fans have until midnight on 31 March - when the first sales phase ends - to make online ticket applications on www.fifa.com. South African residents can also submit a paper application in one of 700 FNB branches countrywide.
Irrespective of the date of their order, all applicants have the same chance of success. A random draw will be held on 15 April to allocate tickets for over-subscribed matches, and all applicants will know by the end of April at the latest whether they have been successful or not.
In the second sales period, from 4 May to 16 November, tickets will be allocated on a "first come, first served, subject to availability" basis.
The number of applications has far exceeded Fifa's expectations, with Fifa secretary-general Jérôme Valcke describing the response from football fans around the world as "phenomenal".
LOC chief executive Danny Jordaan said he was very excited that the one million mark for ticket applications had been passed.
"The interest in South Africa and around the world has been incredible," Jordaan said. "We are now completing magnificent stadiums and world-class infrastructure and are well placed to stage an authentic African showpiece that global football fans will never forget."
The country that has submitted the largest number of applications so far is South Africa, followed by the United Kingdom and the USA.
Valcke said 50 percent of the applications made so far had been for the Team Specific Series, which allows fans to follow their team of choice as it progresses through the tournament.
This reflects the growing popularity of this special ticket product, which was introduced in 2002.
Source: BuaNews
