FIFA to start World Cup ticket sales on August 20

SAO PAULO, Sao Paulo (State): World's football governing body announced here Friday that it will begin selling tickets for next year's World Cup in 12 Brazilian host cities on August 20 via its www.fifa.com website.

Some 330 days before the tournament is to open in Sao Paulo, FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil outlined a strategy under which three million tickets will be sold in three phases involving four price categories. In the first phase, tickets will be allocated after a random selection draw period running from August 20 to October 10 and there will be a first come, first served period from November 5 to 28.

The same procedure will apply in the second phase where tickets will be awarded after a random draw period from December 8 2013 to Jan 30 2014, followed by a first come, first served period from next Febuary 26 to next April 1. Finally, there will be a last-minute sales phase on a first come, first served basis from April 15 to July 13, the day of the final. Weil said 701,079 tickets will be available for international fans and Brazilians.

Another 500,000 will be exclusively reserved for Brazilians, including discount tickets for students, the elderly and low-income people, and 100,OOO complimentary tickets for the government and stadium construction workers. (AFP)