Toronto appears to be one of the most coveted destinations for fans wanting to get their hands on tickets for FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer games this summer.
FIFA said this week that over 500 million ticket requests were submitted during the random selection draw application period, which has now closed.
According to the governing body, that number represents “unprecedented levels” of excitement around the upcoming tournament.
“With each application validated by unique credit card data, fans placed an average of 15 million ticket requests per day over the 33-day application window, setting a new benchmark for demand in the history of world sport,” FIFA said in a statement.
FIFA also revealed which games generated the highest interest.
The hottest ticket in this sales phase was Colombia v. Portugal, happening on June 27 in Miami.
The top five also included a match between Mexico and South Korea in Guadalajara on June 18; the final in New York New Jersey on July 19; the tournament’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on June 11; and the round-of-32 match in Toronto on July 2.
According to FIFA, the strong interest in the diverse matches highlights “the exceptional appeal of both marquee fixtures and knockout-stage encounters across all three host nations.”
The application period for the random selection draw ran from Dec. 11 to Jan. 13.
Fans who submitted applications for tickets will be notified by email about whether they were successful sometime after Feb. 4, FIFA said.
Toronto is set to host six FIFA matches this summer as part of a World Cup that will be spread over cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.