USSSC Ticketing FAQs

2010 WORLD CUP TICKETING FAQs

1. U.S. Soccer SC members receive “priority status” to 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets as a benefit of membership.  What does “priority status” mean?
2. What is the process for applying for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets as a U.S. Soccer SC member?
3. What are the eligibility requirements to apply for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets as a U.S. Soccer SC member?
4. Do I need to be a U.S. Soccer SC member in order to apply for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
5. What is the deadline to join the U.S. Soccer SC to guarantee priority status to purchase 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
6. Am I required to have a passport to apply for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
7. How and when can a U.S. Soccer SC member apply for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
8. Does completing the application process guarantee me 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
9. How and when will U.S. Soccer SC members know whether their priority status 2010 FIFA World Cup ticket requests are approved?
10. To what matches do U.S. Soccer SC members have priority status for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
11. What is a conditional ticket?
12. Are there limits to the number of 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets a U.S. Soccer SC member can request?
13. Can I specify seat locations or request seats adjacent to another applicant?
14. How much will tickets cost?
15. I have already purchased tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Can I also apply for more tickets as a U.S. Soccer SC member?
16. What are FIFA’s Ticket Sales Regulations and do they apply to U.S. Soccer SC members?
17. I am a U.S. Soccer SC member under the age of 18. Can I use my membership to purchase tickets?
18. Are there any residency or nationality restrictions to apply for tickets as a U.S. Soccer SC member?
19. If I purchase a U.S. Soccer SC membership and I am not successful in obtaining 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets, can I be refunded the membership fee?
20. If I am successful in applying for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets, when and how should I expect to receive them?
21. Who can collect my 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
22. Will there be priority amongst U.S. Soccer SC members?
23. I am a U.S. Soccer SC member and can't go to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Can I apply for tickets for my friends or family members?
24. I am a U.S. Soccer SC member and plan to apply for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets. Do my guests need to be U.S. Soccer SC members as well?
25. I have a child under the age of 2. Will my child require a ticket to enter the stadium at any 2010 FIFA World Cup match?
26. Can I apply for tickets to non-U.S. World Cup matches?
27. Does U.S. Soccer provide any travel or ticket packages for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Games?

1. U.S. Soccer SC members receive “priority status” to 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets as a benefit of membership.  What does “priority status” mean?
Priority status means belonging to the first group eligible to apply for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets from U.S. Soccer’s team supporter allotment. Members must join U.S. Soccer SC by the deadline set by U.S. Soccer (Dec. 3, 2009, at 12 p.m. ET) and meet other requirements (see question 3 below) to be eligible. The exact method for the sale of these tickets is determined by FIFA and described elsewhere in these FAQs. Membership in U.S. Soccer SC, however, does not guarantee that a member’s application for tickets will be fulfilled (e.g. demand exceeds the available supply), nor does it provide members with free tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

• Join U.S. Soccer SC before Dec. 3, 2009, at 12 p.m. ET (see question 5 below).
• U.S. Soccer SC member submits an online pre-application data form sent to them by U.S. Soccer via e-mail (see question 7 below).
• U.S. Soccer uploads pre-application data to FIFA World Cup Ticketing Center computer system.
• U.S. Soccer e-mails ticket application order link and instructions to each U.S. Soccer SC member whose pre-application data has been successfully uploaded.
• U.S. Soccer SC member applies for tickets through FIFA (Dec. 6, 2009, through Jan. 13, 2010).
• FIFA evaluates ticket applications (approximately Jan. 14-20; see question 8 below).
• FIFA informs applicant whether or not their request for tickets was successful (approximately Jan. 21-23). Payment is collected in full for all successful requests at this time (see question 9 below).

• All applicants must join U.S. Soccer SC by Dec. 3, 2009, at 12 p.m. ET.
• All applicants and their guests must have a valid passport prior to applying (see question 6 below).
• All applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the time they apply for tickets.
• It is strongly recommended that all applicants use a valid payment card whose expiration date extends until at least September 2010. This will aid in both the retrieval of tickets while in South Africa and the collection of refunds (if applicable) for those requesting conditional tickets (see question 11 below).

4. Do I need to be a U.S. Soccer SC member in order to apply for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
No. After the completion of the sales phase for the participating teams’ supporter allotment (FIFA’s third sales phase), there will be additional phases of ticket sales directly from FIFA during the months leading up to the matches. Visit FIFA.com for details on the remaining phases. Tickets for games involving the U.S. may or may not be available through FIFA’s remaining sales phases. It has not yet been determined if non-U.S. Soccer SC members will have access to the U.S. team supporter allotment. U.S. Soccer SC members, however, will be entitled to priority status for U.S. Soccer’s team supporter allotment of FIFA World Cup tickets.

5. What is the deadline to join the U.S. Soccer SC to guarantee priority status to purchase 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
The deadline is Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009, at 12 p.m. ET. Members who register after this deadline will not receive the benefit of priority status to purchase 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets. (Note: New members will receive confirmation of their membership within five business days of applying to join U.S. Soccer SC.)

6. Am I required to have a passport to apply for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
Yes. All ticket purchasers are required to provide detailed information about the identities of the persons using each ticket, including a valid passport number. (Note: This does not have to be a U.S. passport.) Per FIFA’s requirements, persons’ names may be printed directly onto the face of each ticket, and ticket holders may be required to show identification when entering the stadium. If you plan to apply for tickets and either you or your guest(s) do/does not hold a current passport, we recommend each individual apply for one immediately using the fastest processing method available.

7. How and when can a U.S. Soccer SC member apply for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
Once fans have joined U.S. Soccer SC, they will be prompted by U.S. Soccer to complete an online form to submit pre-application data. Current U.S. Soccer SC members will be contacted in late November with details to complete this online form. Members joining in late November and before the Dec. 3 deadline will be contacted within ten business days of joining. Only those interested in applying for tickets will need to respond. U.S. Soccer will provide this information to FIFA as part of the final application process.

After a member’s pre-application data has been received and uploaded by U.S. Soccer to the FIFA World Cup Ticketing Center (FWCTC) computer system, U.S. Soccer will provide instructions and a link to the FIFA online order form and inform the member that they may proceed with their request for tickets through FIFA. From Dec. 6, 2009, through Jan. 13, 2010, FIFA will open the application process. Requests for tickets will be handled on an equal-chance basis rather than first-come, first-served. Applicants will be required to submit payment information at this time, but only successful applications will be charged after Jan. 13 (see question 9 below).

8. Does completing the application process guarantee me 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
No. The application does not guarantee tickets. All ticket applications received from U.S. Soccer SC members during the priority status period (Dec. 6, 2009, through Jan. 13, 2010) will have an equal chance of success regardless of the date submitted. The process for this sale is not first-come, first-served.  In the event that the number of tickets requested by U.S. Soccer SC members exceeds the allocation available for any price category for any game, the FIFA World Cup Ticketing Center will conduct a random lottery to determine which applicants are awarded tickets within a week after the ticket application window closes on Jan. 13, 2010. If the number of tickets requested by U.S. Soccer SC members does not exceed the available supply, then everyone who applies will receive the tickets they have requested, provided all other terms and conditions are met by the applicant.

9. How and when will U.S. Soccer SC members know whether their priority status 2010 FIFA World Cup ticket requests are approved?  
Within approximately ten days after the ticket application window for U.S. Soccer SC members closes on Jan. 13, 2010, the FIFA World Cup Ticketing Center will contact all applicants directly via e-mail or SMS text to confirm whether or not the request for tickets was successful. Should you be successful in your application for tickets, your payment card will be immediately charged the full amount noted during the application process (including the cost of conditional tickets). 

10. To what matches do U.S. Soccer SC members have priority status for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?
U.S. Soccer SC members have priority status for tickets to U.S. matches only, including each of the U.S. team’s three First Round matches. U.S. Soccer SC members also have the same priority status for conditional tickets for the U.S. team’s possible knockout round games, including the Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Final/Third Place Game. Conditional tickets will only be issued if the U.S. advances.

11. What is a conditional ticket?
Anyone who applies for a ticket to follow the U.S. for matches in the knockout rounds will be applying for a conditional ticket, which will only be valid if the U.S. team advances. Applicants will be required to use a payment card to pay the full amount for all tickets up front.  Should the U.S. fail to advance to a stage of the tournament where someone has purchased a ticket, then the ticket purchaser will receive a refund by Sept. 2010 to the payment card used, less a $10 service fee per ticket.

12. Are there limits to the number of 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets a U.S. Soccer SC member can request?
Yes. FIFA ticket sales regulations include certain limits per household for anyone requesting tickets. These limits also apply to all U.S. Soccer SC members. A household may apply for tickets to up to seven (7) matches across the entire tournament and no more than four (4) tickets for any single match. These limits include all sales phases combined.

Those who submit requests for tickets beyond the household limits stated above (whether through a single request or by combining applications made during various sales phases) risk having all requests for tickets ultimately declined and/or revoked (including those previously confirmed). Please note that the online order page will not automatically conduct checks on limits when you submit your request. Instead, the request submitted is checked after the sales window has concluded on Jan. 13, 2010, in combination with all other requests received. Please take care to not exceed the stated combined household limits when submitting your request either through the U.S. Soccer SC priority access or a later ticket sales phase through FIFA.

13. Can I specify seat locations or request seats adjacent to another applicant?
Tickets will be broken into three categories/price levels. The ticket application will give applicants the opportunity to choose which category or categories of tickets they prefer but not allow any more specifics beyond this. FIFA does not offer the option to request adjacent seats to another group or purchaser.

14. How much will tickets cost?
Tickets are available in three different categories.  Each stadium is configured differently, therefore the general category descriptions, listed below, should not be considered definitive in each circumstance.

• Category 1: tickets are generally located alongside the pitch
• Category 2: tickets are generally located adjacent to Category 1, in the corners
• Category 3: tickets are generally located adjacent to Category 2, behind the goals or in the corners

Ticket prices vary according to the match being played and the category of the tickets purchased.  Please see the chart below for a breakdown of individual match ticket prices in U.S. dollars for those tickets available to U.S. Soccer SC members (Note: Prices listed include the ticket face value plus a 10 percent administration fee).

Additional 2010 World Cup ticketing information can be found on FIFA’s ticketing homepage.

15. I have already purchased tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Can I also apply for more tickets as a U.S. Soccer SC member?
Yes. Please remember, however, that the household ticket limits apply to all tickets purchased regardless of when or in which phase they were purchased. If you were successful during a previous phase in purchasing first-round tickets, the participants in these games will become known on Dec. 4 after the FIFA World Cup Final Draw determines the first round groups and schedule. It is possible that some of the tickets previously purchased will be for U.S. games. Please be aware of this and the household limits detailed above prior to making a request for additional tickets.

For Example
A: If you were successful during a previous phase in purchasing two tickets for each of three first-round matches, you may request tickets for up to four other matches plus up to two additional tickets for the three matches for which you already have tickets.

B: If you were previously successful in purchasing two tickets each for Games A and B and four tickets each for Games C, D and E, you may only request tickets for up to two other matches plus up to two additional tickets for Games A and B.

16. What are FIFA’s Ticket Sales Regulations and do they apply to U.S. Soccer SC members?
Yes. Any person wishing to purchase 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets as well as any guests of the purchaser will be bound by FIFA’s Ticket Sales Regulations (which include household limits on the number of tickets each purchaser can obtain), General Terms and Conditions, and Stadium Code of Conduct. These documents can be found online at FIFA.com.

17. I am a U.S. Soccer SC member under the age of 18. Can I use my membership to purchase tickets?
U.S. Soccer SC members under the age of 18 whose families wish to purchase tickets should have their parent/guardian contact U.S. Soccer at ussoccerfan@ussoccer.org to make arrangements for an application.

18. Are there any residency or nationality restrictions to apply for tickets as a U.S. Soccer SC member?
Yes. U.S. Soccer SC members must be either residents or citizens of the U.S., in addition to meeting the eligibility requirements listed in question 3, in order to apply for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets from U.S. Soccer’s team supporter allotment.

(Please note: The citizenship/resident policy has been updated to accurately reflect the FIFA World Cup Ticketing Office citizenship/resident policy for ticket applicants. We apologize for any inconvenience. )

19. If I purchase a U.S. Soccer SC membership and I am not successful in obtaining 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets, can I be refunded the membership fee?
As stated in the U.S. Soccer SC Terms and Conditions, U.S. Soccer SC memberships are non-refundable.

20. If I am successful in applying for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets, when and how should I expect to receive them?  
Unlike previous FIFA World Cups where physical tickets were shipped in advance to the purchaser, 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets will not be mailed. Tickets may only be collected in South Africa.

If you applied online the payment card you used in your application will be utilized as the collection mechanism to pick up tickets. If the payment card that you used expires prior to July 2010, or is lost or stolen, you must notify the FIFA World Cup Ticketing Center (FWCTC).

Tickets can be collected from official 2010 FIFA World Cup ticket collection points in each of the nine host cities in South Africa starting April 2010. The details of these collection points will be communicated closer to the time. If you have not received information regarding the location of the ticket collection points by the end of April 2010, please send a request for information to enquiries@2010fwctc.com. 

21. Who can collect my 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets?  
The applicant must be the person who collects the Tickets. It is essential for the applicant to travel with the payment card used to pay for the tickets; another form of identification (e.g. passport) may also be required.

22. Will there be priority amongst U.S. Soccer SC members? 
All U.S. Soccer SC members registered by 12:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 3, 2009 will receive the same priority status for requesting 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets. 

23. I am a U.S. Soccer SC member and can't go to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Can I apply for tickets for my friends or family members? 
No. FIFA requires that ticket applicants must attend each match for which they have requested tickets, since tickets will only be issued to applicants upon their arrival in South Africa (see questions 20-21). If a U.S. Soccer SC member has friends or family interested in attending the 2010 FIFA World Cup, these individuals should be instructed to join U.S. Soccer SC by Dec. 3, 12 p.m. ET to be eligible for the priority status benefit previously outlined in question 1.

24. I am a U.S. Soccer SC member and plan to apply for 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets. Do my guests need to be U.S. Soccer SC members as well? 
No. All guests, however, are required to have a valid passport at the time you apply for tickets (see question 6 above). All guests must also be either a citizen or a resident of the United States.

25. I have a child under the age of 2. Will my child require a ticket to enter the stadium at any 2010 FIFA World Cup match? 
Yes. FIFA’s ticket sales regulations require everyone, regardless of age, to have a ticket in order to enter the stadium.

26. Can I apply for tickets to non-U.S. World Cup matches?
Yes. U.S. Soccer fans may apply for tickets to non-U.S. World Cup matches by submitting a ticket application directly through FIFA. Fans should visit the 2010 FIFA World Cup Ticketing page at FIFA.com for more information. If fans are successful in obtaining tickets through this method, they will be seated with other international fans in an International General Public area. U.S. Soccer fans will only be seated with other U.S. fans if they apply for tickets from U.S. Soccer’s team supporter allotment.

Please remember, however, that the household ticket limits apply to all tickets purchased regardless of how, when or in which phase they were purchased. A household may apply for tickets to up to seven (7) matches across the entire tournament and no more than four (4) tickets for any single match. These limits include all sales phases and applications combined.

27. Does U.S. Soccer provide any travel or ticket packages for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Games?
U.S. Soccer’s official travel partner, OleOle, is offering ticket and travel packages to the FIFA World Cup 2010. Fans have a variety of options through OleOle including travel packages which include tickets and travel-only packages for fans that have already acquired tickets. In addition to U.S. Men’s National Team-focused packages, OleOle offers tickets to other matches for fans looking to fill the days between U.S. match days.

OleOle is one of a select few travel providers to be appointed by Match Services as a Participating Tour Operator to distribute ticket-inclusive travel packages for the 2010 World Cup South Africa and is the only provider to combine the Match appointment with U.S. Soccer’s Official Supplier designation.
es. FIFA’s ticket sales regulations require everyone, regardless of age, to have a ticket in order to enter the stadium.

All policies and procedures are subject to change at the sole discretion of U.S. Soccer.

Updated 12.23.09 at 2:16 p.m.