India-Pakistan rivalry drives World Cup ticket demand past the final
The ICC reports that the group stage match in Johannesburg has received 8.4 million requests, exceeding the nearly eight million sought for the November 21 championship decider.
By Jonathan Hoffmann ·
The International Cricket Council confirmed on Monday that demand for a specific group stage fixture has outpaced interest in the tournament's decisive match. This marks a rare instance where a preliminary contest generates higher commercial traction than the championship final itself.
The ICC stated that the scheduled clash between India and Pakistan has accumulated 8.4 million ticket requests. In contrast, the final, set for November 21, 2027, has drawn nearly eight million applications. Both events will take place at the Wanderers cricket ground in Johannesburg. The governing body noted that this match has surpassed the final in ticket demand, a metric that typically favors the championship decider.
India and Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and one qualifier. The two teams will face each other during the round-robin phase on October 10. If both advance, they may meet again in the Super Seven stage and potentially a third time in the final. The other group, Group B, includes New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh, and a qualifier.
The ICC revealed that the total number of ticket requests for the entire tournament exceeded 120 million on Sunday. These applications originated from 2.8 million unique fan accounts across 193 countries. Fans from South Africa, the United Kingdom, India, the United States, and Australia submitted the highest volume of ballot registrations. Applications from the African continent accounted for 14.9 million of the total requests.
The online ballot for tickets opened on October 1 and will close at midnight Central African Time on November 21. The tournament will span 57 matches across 12 venues in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia from October 7 to November 21, 2027. Namibia will host ICC Men's Cricket World Cup matches for the first time, while Zimbabwe will debut its new stadium in Victoria Falls.
This will be the fourth consecutive 50-over World Cup in which India and Pakistan were drawn into the same group. The ICC conducts this grouping via a closed-door ballot, a practice that differs from other major global sporting events. The current cycle marks the first return of the World Cup to Africa in 24 years, with the 2003 edition hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. South Africa also hosted the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, where India defeated Pakistan in the final at the Wanderers.
