Johannesburg  - Football fans applied for over 1.6 million tickets for the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa in the first phase of ticket sales that ended Tuesday night, world football body FIFA announced Wednesday.

The biggest chunk of the 1,635,136 applications - 30 per cent - came from the host nation, followed by the US, the UK, Germany, Italy and Australia, FIFA said in a statement. Some 740,000 tickets were up for grabs.

Fans from 205 countries in total applied for tickets since the sale began on February 20. Most applied online but some South Africans applied through local bank branches.

Because this first sales phase was on a random-selection, draw basis, applicants will only be told if they were successful after the draw on on April 15.

The opening match on June 11, 2010 in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium and the final in the same venue a month later were most in demand.

In price terms, the most popular tickets were the category 3 tickets or second-cheapest tickets.

The cheapest category four tickets are reserved for South African residents.

"It is very pleasing to see the huge global interest in the first African FIFA World Cup," said Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 local organizing committee. "We want to encourage even more South Africans and Africans to apply for their FIFA World Cup tickets during the next sales phase, so they do not miss out on this unique once-in-a-lifetime experience," he added.

In total, around 3 million purchasable tickets are available for the tournament, which is being held bext year for the first time on the African continent.

The second of five ticket sales begins on May 4. In that phase, tickets will then be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. (dpa)