Doha, The Gulf Observer: With less than 100 days to go until the start of the greatest show on Earth, a total of 2.45 million tickets have now been sold.

The first FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East and Arab world will kick off on 20 November, bringing fans from the region and across the world together in a compact and modern setting, with Qatar, the USA, England, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the UAE, France, Argentina, Brazil and Germany leading the ranking of ticket sales by country of residence.

Those who have not yet secured their seats, or those who would simply like to take advantage of Qatar’s compact nature by adding more matches to their program, should keep an eye on FIFA.com/tickets from late September onwards when the launch date of the last-minute sales phase will be communicated.

During the last-minute sales phase, which will run until the end of the tournament, tickets will also be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and confirmed immediately after payment. FIFA.com/tickets is the only official channel for the general public to buy tickets, with fans urged to stay away from unauthorized websites. Over-the-counter sales will also start in Doha following the launch of the last-minute sales phase.