FIFA announced on Sunday that nearly three million World Cup tickets had been sold, and that the event had contributed to record-breaking profits of $7.5 billion over the previous four years.
2.95 million tickets have been sold as of Sunday’s opening day, a FIFA official told AFP.
Despite negative press surrounding Qatar’s hosting, the World Cup’s start has generated a surge in interest in the 64 matches spread across 29 days.
Queues have built up outside the FIFA ticket centre in Doha and fans report long waits to get onto the official online ticket platform.
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Qatar has already overtaken Russia 2018, when just over 2.4 million tickets were sold.
The spokesman said Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Mexico, Britain, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, France, India and Brazil were the top markets.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino told a conference earlier that the world body’s four-year revenues were estimated to hit $7.5 billion by the end of the year.
Revenues are more than $1 billion higher than predicted four years ago.
Infantino told the 211 member associations that the “amazing figures” came “in spite of Covid, in spite of different crises around the world”.
Infantino is expected to win re-election without opposition at a congress in March because no challengers entered the race in time to compel a vote.
This year, new regulations governing football agents, he promised.
Additionally, Infantino stated that he wanted to see a larger Club World Cup and more matches between regional national teams. We have some solid concepts, he continued.
