Qatar 2022 World Cup sells over 800,000 tickets in first phase
General view of Stadium 974 in Doha, Qatar, March 30, 2022. (Reuters Photo)


The Qatar 2022 World Cup, the first to be held in the Middle East, has already sold some 804,186 tickets in the first phase of sales, football's world governing body and tournament organizer FIFA confirmed Wednesday.

FIFA said interest in tickets mainly came from Qatar, the U.S., England, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Germany, India, Brazil, Argentina and Saudi Arabia.

Tickets for the opening game on Nov. 21 – which will feature host Qatar – as well as the final on Dec. 18, were the most popular choices.

The majority of the 32 slots available for teams have been secured with a handful of World Cup qualifiers left to be completed.

The final draw for the World Cup where teams will be split into groups will be held Friday.

FIFA added fans who did not succeed in the first sales phase will have another chance to apply during the next "random selection draw sales period" on their website on April 5.