Who says United States residents don’t like soccer? With fewer than two months to go before the FIFA World Cup tournament begins in Sao Paulo, Brazil on June 12, Americans have purchased 172,880 tickets to the tournament’s football matches (as the sport is known outside of the U.S.). The U.S. total is more than the combined number of tickets requested by Germans, British and French fans, according to statistics from Embratur, the Brazilian Tourist Board. In fact U.S. ticket purchases rank behind only those of the host country, whose football-frenzied residents have purchased 1,077,243 tickets for World Cup matches, which are scheduled to take place in 12 Brazilian cities.
In what will be its seventh consecutive World Cup appearance, Team America is expected to have a tough path to the championship, with a bracket that includes games against several powerhouse teams including Germany, Portugal and Ghana. Nevertheless the U.S. team’s matches will take place in some of Brazil’s most beautiful regions, beginning with Natal on June 16. The U.S. team will also play in the Amazon city of Manaus on June 22 and the picturesque port city of Recife on June 26.
Of course, summer visitors to Brazil who are not lucky enough to score tickets to World Cup matches can still enjoy the event and the country’s passion for “the beautiful game” via television monitors in bars, restaurants and even beaches and parks. FIFA has also scheduled “Fan Fest” events – featuring official spaces for public viewing of tournament matches — in each of the 12 host cities. If you dont have any luck securing your game ticket with FIFA, check your local Craigslist 😉
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