2010 World Cup Tickets Go On Sale Worldwide

Ticket application forms at FNB Bank City in Johannesburg after ticket sales were opened in South Africa today

World Cup tickets went on sale on the internet worldwide and in bank branches around South Africa on Friday, with organisers declaring it was irrevocable proof that the 2010 finals would go ahead in the country.

Some 700 000 tickets are available for purchase out of a total of just more than 3-million for the 64 games between June 11 - July 11 next year.

Fans have from Friday until the end of March to apply for tickets before going into a random draw lottery in April to determine the successful applicants.

South Africa 2010 Organising Committee chief executive officer Danny Jordaan said the start of ticket sales put to bed any doubts about the 2010 tournament going ahead in South Africa.

"The beginning of this part of the build-up to the World Cup is our irrevocable promise that we make to the people of the world that all is in place and will be ready for 2010," Jordaan said on Friday.

Some 20-million applications were received during the first phase of the sales process for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, which was conducted entirely online.

Immediate figures were not available from FIFA or the Organising Committee for the first hours of Friday's sales but Jordaan said he had been told the response had been good.

"We have had people queuing up at the banks to get application forms. We are very happy with the response we have had, it seems there is huge interest."

But on Thursday, FIFA had to issue a statement apologising for the fact that not all bank branches had yet had the ticket application forms delivered.

"We kindly ask fans for patience and would like to remind them that the first ticket sales is not conducted on a first come, first serve basis. All the applicants who correctly apply for tickets between 20 February and 31 March 2009 will have an equal opportunity of obtaining the tickets for which they have applied," the statement said.

Tickets prices range from US$20 to US$900, a drastic increase in the standard U$1.50 to US$2.50 supporters pay for entry to South African Premiership matches.