The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now in the home stretch: the expanded 48-team tournament will be staged across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the group stage beginning June 11, and the final set for July 19, at the East Coast venue (MetLife Stadium).

The number of soccer fans formally seeking a ticket to this year's World Cup is now approaching one billion. Ross McCall, the FIFA World Cup 2026 Executive Director of Commercial Operations, told The California Post on Wednesday they've now officially received over 500 million applications for seats to games at this summer's event in North America -- and the demand does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.