FIFA World Cup, South Africa, D-Day for first-phase applications!
Today is a red-letter day if yours was one of the 1,635,136 ticket applications FIFA received in the first-round ticket applications for next year’s 2010 FIFA World Cup. It is the ticket draw for the first group of applicants! All the applications that were received were entered into a random selection draw which takes place today and once the draw is completed, applicants will be informed, either via email or SMS, whether their application was successful or not. Expect to get the good news (or not!) by the end of this month, at the latest.
The 1.6-million-plus applications came from 205 countries, with the highest number of ticket applications, around 30%, coming from South Africans. The other 70% of applications came from the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Australia, in that order. The most popular category on average was Category 3, with tickets for the opening match and the final in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium on 11 July 2010 in most demand. Team-specific ticket series applications account for more than 50% of the applications.
If you didn’t crack it this time, try, try again… The next phase of applications kicks off on 4 May and closes on 16 November 2009. These applications will be processed on a first come, first serve basis, so time is of the essence. Then, Phase Three will run from 5 December 2009 to 22 January 2010. These tickets will be allocated through a random draw that will take place on 1 February 2010. By this time the 32 finalists will be known and the draw for the group stages will have been settled.
Phase Four runs from 9 February to 7 April 2010. As in Phase Two, tickets will be allocated in the order in which applications are received – so the earlier the better.
Phase Five runs from 15 April to 11 June 2010 and is the last-minute sales phase. By this stage the application form system will have been done away with and it’s every man for himself! At this stage tickets will be available for purchase in real time – subject to availability – on the FIFA.com and at First National Bank (FNB) branches.
The 1.6-million-plus applications came from 205 countries, with the highest number of ticket applications, around 30%, coming from South Africans. The other 70% of applications came from the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Australia, in that order. The most popular category on average was Category 3, with tickets for the opening match and the final in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium on 11 July 2010 in most demand. Team-specific ticket series applications account for more than 50% of the applications.
If you didn’t crack it this time, try, try again… The next phase of applications kicks off on 4 May and closes on 16 November 2009. These applications will be processed on a first come, first serve basis, so time is of the essence. Then, Phase Three will run from 5 December 2009 to 22 January 2010. These tickets will be allocated through a random draw that will take place on 1 February 2010. By this time the 32 finalists will be known and the draw for the group stages will have been settled.
Phase Four runs from 9 February to 7 April 2010. As in Phase Two, tickets will be allocated in the order in which applications are received – so the earlier the better.
Phase Five runs from 15 April to 11 June 2010 and is the last-minute sales phase. By this stage the application form system will have been done away with and it’s every man for himself! At this stage tickets will be available for purchase in real time – subject to availability – on the FIFA.com and at First National Bank (FNB) branches.
Many Lion’s fans are expected in South Africa to support their team. ”Coupled with the IPL Cricket which ends on 23 May, the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in June and the ICC 8-Nations Champions’ Trophy in September, South Africa is certainly expecting thousands of fans for the upcoming top level sporting events,” notes Robert Wilson, CEO of travelinsouthafrica.net . “Fans would be well advised to sort out their travel and accommodation soon,” he said. “Now is a good time to start organising for 2010.”
by Sharon Bezuidenhout
