World Cup Ticket Scramble

There was a global scramble for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets as soon as the online ticket portal on www.FIFA.com got underway on 20 February at 12h00 CET/13h00 South African time. Twenty-four hours after the online tickets went on sale, applications from 128 countries for 216,975 tickets had been received via the website, excluding the hard paper applications handed in by South African residents at FNB branches in the host country. The biggest number of orders came from South Africans, followed by applicants from Great Britain, the USA, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain and Argentina.

"These are fantastic numbers, underlining yet again the fervour taking hold around the world for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first on the African continent. It is very exciting and further evidence that the global football family want to be part of this unique event on this very special continent," says David Will, FIFA Honorary Vice-President and Chairman of the FIFA Ticketing Sub-Committee.

Fans have until midnight on 31 March 2009 to make ticket applications on the www.FIFA.com website. In addition, South African residents have the opportunity to file a hard paper application in one of the 700 FNB branches across the country. This ticketing purchase solution has been developed with FIFA Partner Visa.

"We are absolutely ecstatic with the phenomenal response of football fans around the world to the start of ticket sales for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. It reinforces the faith of the global football fraternity in South Africa. We stand ready as a country and a continent to warmly welcome the world in 2010, "says Danny Jordaan, CEO of the Organising Committee.

Irrespective of the date of their order, all applicants have the same chance of success. In case of over-subscribed matches a random selection draw will be organised on 15 April to allocate tickets for over-subscribed matches. All applicants will know by the end of April 2009 whether they have been successful or not.

World Cup Tickets On Sale In February

FIFA have announced that tickets for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will go on sale on February 20.


South Africa are due to host the first ever World Cup to be held on the African continent, and the event will certainly show the global community that an event of the magnitude of the greatest show on earth can be handled by one of Africa's most football-mad countries.

FIFA revealed that it has already sold record amounts of hospitality packages to businesses around the world for the show piece event that begins in June 2010.

Spokesman Jermaine Craig said more than 50,000 packages have been bought by small and large businesses, which is a “much faster pace than sales for the 2006 championship in Germany”.

Craig said that tickets to the general public for Africa's first World Cup will be on sale at the world football governing body's website, FIFA.com.

Peter Pedroncelli, Goal.com

First World Cup stadium Finished!!!

Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld stadium is the first of South Africa's 10 World Cup venues to be completed ahead of next year's finals.

The stadium's renovation is finished and it will open for action when it hosts a South African Premier Soccer League match on Saturday.

Its capacity has been increased from 45,000 to 50,000 and a new roof has been fitted on one of its main stands.

The venue is also one of four to be used in June's Confederations Cup.

The other three grounds - in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Rustenburg - were due to be ready last year but are still weeks away from completion.

The six other 2010 World Cup venues are due to be completed by the end of this year.

Loftus Versfeld will host Saturday's match between Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows.

It is also the home ground of rugby union team Blue Bulls and will host one of the three tests matches between the touring British and Irish Lions and South Africa's Springboks on 27 June.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/7870565.stm