DUBAI (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES) (ITALPRESS) – “In just 15 days, we have received 150 million requests from around the world to purchase World Cup tickets.” This was revealed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the opening session of the World Sports Summit, the two-day event taking place in Dubai.
“Despite all the reports you may have read about prices, ranging from 6,000 to 60 dollars, the truth is that these are the numbers,” added the head of world football. “On each of the 15 days of the pre-sale, we recorded an average of 10 million requests per day, with the United States, Germany and Great Britain leading the way.”
Speaking at a forum that included football legends such as Ronaldo Nazario, Luis Figo, Andrés Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Didier Deschamps, Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini, Cafu and Alessandro Del Piero, who served as a speaker, Infantino also offered another optimistic statistic.
“In the nearly 100-year history of the World Cup, 44 million tickets have been sold, and we have received requests three times higher than that.” The expansion of the tournament to 48 teams and 104 matches is expected to generate a record 50–60 million tickets sold.
Infantino also announced that the next FIFA “The Best” awards ceremony will be held in Dubai, highlighting the commercial and media success of last summer’s Club World Cup. “It wasn’t just about the 33 million euros generated by each match; it also helped demonstrate the universality of football,” the Swiss official explained. “The final between Chelsea and PSG alone brought together players from 16 countries across five continents.”
Finally, Infantino outlined key principles for the future: “We will work to develop a more attacking and entertaining style of football, and also a fairer one. We must continue to provide referees with the necessary tools to correct any mistakes.”
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS)
