CHICAGO (Nov. 17, 2009) – The U.S. Soccer Federation has announced initial details for U.S. Men’s National Team fans to apply for tickets for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Priority status for applying for tickets to the U.S. Men’s National Team matches in South Africa will be extended to members of the U.S. Soccer Supporters Club. Registration for U.S. Soccer SC is open now at ussoccer.com, and fans seeking priority status must join by Dec. 3, 2009, at 12 p.m. ET.

Beginning later this month, all registered U.S. Soccer SC members will be sent a request to submit pre-application data to U.S. Soccer. By completing this process, fans notify U.S. Soccer of their interest in FIFA World Cup tickets and provide the information that U.S. Soccer will in turn submit to FIFA for the online ticket application. A valid passport is required for each person who requests tickets.

Once U.S. Soccer SC members have submitted their personal data to U.S. Soccer, they will be provided instructions and a link to FIFA’s online ticket application process. The FIFA online form will be available for fans to complete from Dec. 6, 2009, until Jan. 13, 2010. Requests for tickets will be handled on an equal-chance basis rather than first-come, first-served.

FIFA’s ticket sales regulations will apply to all orders. Ticket requestors are required to provide detailed information about the identities of each person using each ticket, including passport number. A household may apply for tickets to up to seven matches across the entire tournament and no more than four tickets for any single match. These limits apply to all phases of FIFA’s ticketing process, including those phases already completed. More information on FIFA’s ticket sales regulations is available here.

Following the close of the FIFA ticket application process on Jan. 13, FIFA will determine which requests have been successful and will fulfill such orders directly. If the demand for tickets from U.S. Soccer SC members exceeds the ticket allocation available for any price category for any game, then the FIFA World Cup Ticketing Center will conduct a random lottery. The payment of ticket applications will only be processed if tickets are issued.

The U.S. team will learn its opponents and venues for the first-round matches on Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, when FIFA conducts the Final Draw in Cape Town, South Africa. The draw can be followed live at ussoccer.com via DrawTracker at 12 p.m. ET.

More detailed information on this process is outlined in FIFA World Cup Ticketing FAQs at ussoccer.com. Additional details on FIFA World Cup ticketing will be announced as the information becomes available to U.S. Soccer.

U.S. Soccer fans’ FIFA World Cup Ticketing Timeline
Date                         Event
Ongoing                   Fans join the U.S. Soccer Supporters Club
Late November         USSSC members submit pre-application data to U.S. Soccer *
Dec. 3                      Deadline to join USSSC and receive priority World Cup ticketing status ^
Dec. 4                      First-round opponents and venues determined via Final Draw
Dec. 6                      FIFA ticket application begins for USSSC members
Jan. 13                     Close of FIFA ticket application for USSSC members
Late January            FIFA contacts applicants to confirm whether or not application was successful, successful applicants are charged for tickets

* Current members will receive online pre-application data form via e-mail. New members will receive online pre-application data forms within five business days of joining with U.S. Soccer SC.
^ Enrollment in U.S. Soccer SC will still be open after this date. The priority status for 2010 FIFA World Cup ticketing, however, will no longer be a guaranteed benefit.