ZURICH (DA) — FIFA says demand for tickets to the 2026 World Cup has surpassed 500 million requests following the conclusion of the Random Selection Draw application period, highlighting the scale of global interest confronting Curaçao as the national team prepares for its first-ever men’s World Cup appearance.
FIFA said the requests were submitted over a 33-day application window by fans living in all 211 FIFA Member Associations, marking the highest level of ticket demand in the tournament’s history. The governing body has said approximately 5 million tickets will be available across the competition.
Beyond the three host nations — the United States, Mexico and Canada — FIFA said the highest number of applications came from fans residing in Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Colombia, underscoring the global competition Curaçao supporters face when seeking tickets.
Most in-demand matches
FIFA said demand during this sales phase was strongest for marquee fixtures and knockout-stage games across all three host countries.
The most requested match was Colombia vs. Portugal, scheduled for Saturday, June 27 in Miami.
The top five most requested matches also included Mexico vs. Korea Republic in Guadalajara on Thursday, June 18; the final in New York–New Jersey on Sunday, July 19; the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on Thursday, June 11; and a round-of-32 match in Toronto on Thursday, July 2.
FIFA said the list reflects strong interest in both high-profile group-stage games and knockout-round encounters.
Curaçao venues and supporter context
Curaçao’s group-stage matches are scheduled to be played in Houston, Kansas City and Philadelphia, all large-capacity U.S. stadiums.
FIFA has emphasized that stadium capacity does not equal ticket availability to the public. Seats are also allocated to teams, sponsors, hospitality programs, media and tournament operations, reducing the inventory available through public sales channels.
How the odds differ by ticket channel
FIFA does not publish acceptance rates for individual matches, but the scale of demand allows for a clear distinction between the two main access paths available to Curaçao supporters: the Random Selection Draw and Ticket Allocation Groups, known as TAGS.
Random Selection Draw
The Random Selection Draw places all applicants into a global pool. With more than 500 million ticket requests competing for about 5 million available tickets, the tournament-wide ratio is roughly 100 requests for every one ticket. In practical terms, that translates to an average baseline probability of about 1 percent per ticket request across the tournament.
Those odds apply broadly to fans worldwide and vary by match depending on demand, opponent and timing.
Ticket Allocation Groups (TAGS)
TAGS operates separately from the general public draw and is administered through participating member associations. For Curaçao, this process is managed through the Federashon Futbòl Kòrsou supporter portal.
Unlike the Random Selection Draw, TAGS does not compete against the full global request pool. Access instead depends on the size of the allocation assigned to the federation and the remaining inventory available at the time of purchase. FIFA does not publish numeric odds for TAGS, meaning probability is determined by availability rather than a fixed ratio.
At the time of this writing, TAGS availability for Curaçao’s group-stage matches is already constrained. The Houston match is sold out through TAGS. For Kansas City against Ecuador, tickets remain available only in the Supporters Standard Tier and Supporters Premier Tier. For Philadelphia, only the Supporters Premier Tier remains available.
What happens next
FIFA said ticket applications will be reviewed to confirm they meet application requirements and household limits.
Where demand exceeds available inventory, tickets in the Random Selection Draw will be allocated via a random selection process. Fans will be notified of the outcome of their applications by email no earlier than Feb. 5.
Supporters who are unsuccessful in the Random Selection Draw will have another opportunity to purchase remaining inventory during the Last-Minute Sales phase, when tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to availability.
A historic debut amid record demand
FIFA has said the volume of requests received for the 2026 World Cup represents the equivalent of hundreds of years of World Cup matches, far exceeding the combined attendance of the 964 matches played since the tournament began in 1930.
For Curaçao, the figures place the team’s World Cup debut within a tournament defined by unprecedented global demand. Access differs by sales channel, but the competition for seats is intense across the board.
The odds are challenging.
The moment for Curaçao, on football’s biggest stage, is historic.