Football fans eager to attend the World Cup have been given a final chance to buy tickets, as FIFA announced the last phase of ticket sales on Wednesday.
The organization confirmed that more than one million tickets were sold between December and February.
Additional tickets will go on general sale from April 1 and will remain available until the tournament ends on July 19. The competition begins on June 11.
This latest phase follows FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s statement in January that demand for tickets was extremely high, with all 104 matches expected to sell out.
Despite the strong demand, FIFA has faced criticism over its ticket pricing for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
In December, fans described the pricing as a “monumental betrayal,” with tickets ranging from $140 for the cheapest group-stage matches to $8,680 for the final.
FIFA said that remaining tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
On Tuesday, Football Supporters Europe announced it had joined forces with consumer group Euroconsumers to file a formal complaint with the European Commission over ticket prices.
The group criticized both the high base prices and the use of “dynamic pricing” for the first time at a World Cup, which could push costs even higher.
Its executive director said they had urged FIFA for months to reconsider what they described as aggressive and exploitative ticketing policies, and that FIFA’s failure to engage with stakeholders left them no choice but to proceed with the complaint.
In this final phase, fans will be able to select specific seats, and those who have already purchased tickets will be able to view their assigned seats starting April 1.
