2nd sales phase for 2010 tickets ends on Monday

By Stuart Alderson-Smith

FIFA announced today that the 2nd phase of ticket sales for the 2010 FIFA World Cup will come to an end on Monday 16 November.

The next phase, the 3rd, will commence on 5 December, one day after the World Cup final draw, to be held in Cape Town.

According to the latest FIFA press release, issued today, a total of 668,525 tickets have been sold so far, with 356,285 of those going to the hosts- South Africa.

This total accounts for 82.5% of the available tickets made available in this phase. The remaining ickets can still be purchased online via FIFA.com and also at FNB branches across South Africa.

The US (84,034) leads the way in terms of tickets sold in other countries, followed by the UK (48,274) and Germany (25,024).

At this stage, individual match tickets are mainly available for matches at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium (including a small amount for the opening match) and at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.

With the exception of Brazil and England, Team-Specific Tickets (TSTs) are still available for all of the other qualified nations.

Depending on which of the three different TST series fans apply for, their TST may include between three and seven matches, including the final. These tickets are allocated to the team’s venues automatically, meaning fans can buy a ticket to follow their team throughout the tournament without having to wait to see where it will play. In the current phase, no more category four tickets, which are exclusively reserved for South African residents, are available.

“This phase is a great opportunity for fans who are captivated by the prospect of experiencing the unique atmosphere of the World Cup first-hand to purchase their tickets, particularly TSTs, before the customary scramble after the Final Draw,” advises Horst R. Schmidt, chairman of the FIFA Ticketing Sub-Committee.

“The next phase of ticket sales will see an increase in interest across the globe once fans know not only that their national team has qualified but also where their team will play as a result of the final draw,” emphasised Local Organising Committee CEO Dr Danny Jordaan.

The 3rd sales phase, which lasts for 49 days, will end on 22 January 2010, during which time tickets will be available for all categories and all matches

Source: www.shine2010.co.za