2026 World Cup ticket sales exceed 1 million, Ronaldo and Messi may participate for the last time, fans around the world are enthusiastic

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the enthusiasm of football fans around the world is surging like a tide. Recently, FIFA announced that ticket sales have exceeded 1 million during the pre-sale stage. This number has set a new historical record and demonstrates the world's unlimited expectations for this event. Supporters from 212 countries and regions have joined the queue to grab tickets, focusing on this event co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

This World Cup has extraordinary historical significance. Not only is it the first time that the three countries have co-hosted it, but it has also expanded to 48 participating teams for the first time. The total number of games has reached 104, and the scale has reached an unprecedented height. North America's hosting rights also confirm the market's attractiveness to global football.

What is even more striking is that this may be the last World Cup for legendary stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo is 40 years old this year and still has high hopes from the Portuguese national team. He himself has also shown a strong willingness to participate and is actively preparing for the competition. Messi led Argentina to win the World Cup in 2022, realizing the biggest dream of his career. Therefore, he has a very rational and conservative attitude towards competing in the World Cup again at the age of 39. He has repeatedly emphasized that he will make the final decision based on his physical condition and is unwilling to compete reluctantly when he is in poor condition. Their potential farewell inspired countless fans to buy tickets, adding more emotion to the event.

Compared with previous editions, the ticket sales momentum in 2026 is particularly rapid. For example, only about 300,000 tickets were sold for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil during the same period, while nearly 600,000 tickets were sold for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Today's sales of one million tickets reflect the surge in global demand. Among the host countries, fans in the United States, Canada and Mexico have the strongest demand, especially in the U.S. market. With the popularization of football culture and the improvement of the level of Major League Soccer, the participation of the younger generation has increased significantly, driving a domestic ticket buying boom.

FIFA President Infantino warmly celebrated this milestone, calling it an important step towards a global and diverse World Cup. He emphasized that the tournament is gradually becoming more inclusive and will ensure that the football culture of more countries, especially developing countries, can be showcased in the future. At the same time, the three hosts are making full preparations to upgrade venue facilities such as the screens at BC Place Stadium in Canada and the transportation system in Mexico City, and establish transnational collaboration mechanisms to deal with complex challenges. The event is expected to bring considerable economic benefits, such as Vancouver's related budget of approximately 624 million Canadian dollars, and is expected to boost youth football participation. However, preparations also face practical problems such as security threats, visa barriers and logistics pressure.

Despite the impressive first-round sales, fans will still have the opportunity to participate in the second-round early ticket lottery, which will officially launch on October 27. FIFA expects demand to continue to grow as the tournament approaches, but competition for tickets to popular games will be fiercer, and fans who missed out on the first round will need to take advantage of this rare opportunity.

The boom in ticket sales highlights the global influence of the World Cup. The participation of 212 countries proves that football has become one of the most popular sports, especially in non-traditional powerhouses in Asia, Africa and Latin America, where the fan base continues to expand. The World Cup is no longer just a sports competition, it has evolved into a bridge for global cultural exchanges, integrating different ideas and customs.

The 2026 World Cup kicked off with good pre-sale results. The expectations and enthusiasm of fans are the core driving force of this event. As more people who have experienced it step onto the field, history will be born at this moment. This is not only a fierce competition on the court, but also a celebration of global football culture. It belongs to every fan with dreams and witnesses that the world is closely connected because of football.