Coral Gables: FIFA announced on Wednesday that it has received more than 500 million ticket requests for this year’s World Cup, highlighting the tournament’s global appeal.

Outside the host nations – the United States, Mexico and Canada – the highest number of requests came from fans in Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Colombia.

Ticket prices have drawn criticism, with FIFA charging up to $8,680 for some seats. In response, the governing body confirmed last month it would offer $60 tickets for every match to the 48 participating national federations, which will determine how to distribute them to their supporters who attended previous games.

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During the third phase of ticket sales, which ran from 11 December to Tuesday, the most requested match was Colombia versus Portugal on 27 June in Miami Gardens, Florida. It was followed by Mexico against South Korea on 18 June in Guadalajara, Mexico; the final on 19 July in East Rutherford, New Jersey; the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on 11 June in Mexico City; and a second-round game on 2 July in Toronto.

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FIFA said applicants will be notified no earlier than 5 February, with tickets for oversubscribed matches to be allocated randomly.