Zurich - There were over 200,000 applications for 2010 World Cup tickets in the first 24 hours since tickets went on sale via FIFA's online ticket portal, football's ruling body revealed Saturday.

Applications from 128 countries for 216,975 tickets had been received via the website, excluding the hard paper applications handed in by residents of host nation South Africa at the country's First National Bank (FNB), a sponsor of the tournament.

The biggest number of orders since the website went live Friday came from South Africans, followed by applicants from Britain, the United States, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain and Argentina.

This is the first in five phases of ticket sales between now and the World Cup final in Soweto township outside Johannesburg on July 11 next year.

In total, around 3 million purchasable tickets will be available for the tournament, which runs June 11 to July 11, 2010 and is being held for the first time on the African continent.

FIFA is hoping around 450,000 fans will travel to the tournament. (dpa)