FIFA Expects Sold Out Arenas at 2018 World Cup in Russia

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The International Football Federation (FIFA) expects all the tickets for the 2018 FIFA World Cup matches to be held in Russia this summer to sell out, FIFA Head of Ticketing Falk Eller told reporters Tuesday.

The final ticket sales phase for Russia's first-ever World Cup, set to take place in 11 cities across the country, starts on April 18 and will run to July 15.

According to Eller, who is positive that all the arenas will be filled to their full capacities during the World Cup matches, a total of 2.7 million tickets will have been allocated by the end of the ticket sales that began in September.

During the final stage of the ticket sales, FIFA venue ticketing centers will open in the tournament’s host cities.

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Almost 1.7 million tickets have been sold so far, with international fans scooping up 53 percent of the tickets.

Eller has said FIFA had received a six-digit number of ticket applications for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final.

He added that there were around 400,000 to 500,000 applications received during the first phase of ticket sales alone. The final phase of ticket sales for the World Cup will start on Wednesday, April 18.

Russia will host its first World Cup this summer, with the games scheduled to take place from June 14 to July 15 at 12 arenas in 11 cities. The World Cup Final will be played at the renovated 81,000-seat Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.