Going to South Africa 2010

In less than three days� time, on Monday, 16 November 2009, the second phase of ticket sales for the 2010 FIFA World Cup� will come to an end. This means that football fans around the world only have a limited time to secure a seat for the FIFA World Cup� in 2010 in South Africa before the third and main ticketing sales phase starts on 5 December � the day after the Final Draw. A total of 668,525 tickets have been sold to date, 356,285 of those in the host country. This total accounts for 82.5% of the inventory available in this sales phase. Tickets can still be purchased online via FIFA.com and also at FNB branches across South Africa. The US (84,034) leads the way in terms of tickets sold in other countries, followed by the UK (48,274) and Germany (25,024).

At this stage, individual match tickets are mainly available for matches at Johannesburg�s Soccer City Stadium (including a small amount for the opening match) and at Durban Stadium. With the exception of Brazil and England, Team-Specific Tickets (TSTs) are still available for all of the other qualified nations.

Depending on which of the three different TST series fans apply for, their TST may include between three and seven matches, including the final. These tickets are allocated to the team�s venues automatically, meaning fans can buy a ticket to follow their team throughout the tournament without having to wait to see where it will play. In the current phase, no more category four tickets, which are exclusively reserved for South African residents, are available.

�This phase is a great opportunity for fans who are captivated by the prospect of experiencing the unique atmosphere of the World Cup first-hand to purchase their tickets, particularly TSTs, before the customary scramble after the Final Draw,� advises Horst R. Schmidt, chairman of the FIFA Ticketing Sub-Committee.

�The next phase of ticket sales will see an increase in interest across the globe once fans know not only that their national team has qualified but also where their team will play as a result of the Final Draw, which will take place in Cape Town on 4 December,� emphasises 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan.

The third sales phase, which will last for 49 days, will start on 5 December and end on 22 January 2010, during which time tickets will be available for all categories and all matches.

Fans can also purchase authorised travel packages through participating tour operators appointed by FIFA through MATCH. These tour operators offer flight-inclusive ticket and accommodation packages. The list of all tour operators can be found on FIFA.com.

In recognition of Visa�s valued sponsorship, www.FIFA.com prefers Visa for all transactions online.