Author: Tona.Today

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Liverpool ‘united as one’ after Salah return – Van Dijk

Captain Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool “are absolutely united and go forward as one” after Mohamed Salah returned to the squad for Saturday’s win over Brighton.

Salah came off the bench for his first Liverpool appearance since claiming after last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Leeds that he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club.

The 33-year-old was left out of the squad for the midweek Champions League win at Inter Milan, but returned for the Brighton game following talks with manager Arne Slot – and claimed an assist in the 2-0 win.

Salah joins up with the Egypt national team for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) on Monday and could miss up to eight Liverpool games if his country go all the way to the final on 18 January.

“We showed this week that we are absolutely united. We go forward as one,” said Van Dijk, who made his 250th Premier League appearance for Liverpool on Saturday.

“Mo is going to Afcon and we all hope that he’ll be successful there and he’ll come back and be important for us for the rest of the season.

“The other side of it is that we all know football and we have no idea what is going to happen. I hope that he stays because he is one of my leaders and still very important for the football club. But there’s more parties to this situation.”

Van Dijk also praised Slot for how he handled the events of recent days, with Liverpool now unbeaten in five games since losing to PSV at Anfield in the Champions League.

“I think he has handled the situation very well – calm in his own way and it’s a very tricky situation,” said the Netherlands defender.

“There’s a lot of noise and pressure from the outside world and rightly so because we’ve not been up to the standard we’ve shown in the last few seasons.

“We’ve just got to keep going. He’s at a club which is very together and that’s how it has been before our time at the club, and that’s something we have to keep going.

“We go through the good times together, as a team, as a club and as a fanbase, but sometimes when the difficult moments arise we also have to stick together. This moment of time is a very good moment to see how everyone responds.” (BBC)

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Disney accuses Google of using AI to engage in copyright infringement on ‘massive scale’

As Disney has gone into business with OpenAI, the Mouse House is accusing Google of copyright infringement on a “massive scale” using AI models and services to “commercially exploit and distribute” infringing images and videos.

On Wednesday evening, attorneys for Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Google, demanding that Google stop the alleged infringement in its AI systems.

“Google is infringing Disney’s copyrights on a massive scale, by copying a large corpus of Disney’s copyrighted works without authorization to train and develop generative artificial intelligence (‘AI’) models and services, and by using AI models and services to commercially exploit and distribute copies of its protected works to consumers in violation of Disney’s copyrights,” reads the letter to Google’s general counsel from law firm Jenner & Block on behalf of Disney.

The letter continued, “Google operates as a virtual vending machine, capable of reproducing, rendering, and distributing copies of Disney’s valuable library of copyrighted characters and other works on a mass scale. And compounding Google’s blatant infringement, many of the infringing images generated by Google’s AI Services are branded with Google’s Gemini logo, falsely implying that Google’s exploitation of Disney’s intellectual property is authorized and endorsed by Disney.”

According to the letter, which Variety has reviewed, Disney alleges that Google’s AI systems and services infringe Disney characters including those from “Frozen,” “The Lion King,” “Moana,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Deadpool,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Toy Story,” “Brave,” “Ratatouille,” “Monsters Inc.,” “Lilo & Stich,” “Inside Out” and franchises such as Star Wars, the Simpsons, and Marvel’s Avengers and Spider-Man. In its letter, Disney included examples of images it claims were generated by text prompts in Google’s AI apps, including of Darth Vader

The allegations against Google follows cease-and-desist letters that Disney sent earlier to Meta and Character.AI, as well as litigation Disney filed together with NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery against AI companies Midjourney and Minimax alleging copyright infringement.

Asked for comment, a Google spokesperson said, “We have a longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship with Disney, and will continue to engage with them. More generally, we use public data from the open web to build our AI and have built additional innovative copyright controls like Google-extended and Content ID for YouTube, which give sites and copyright holders control over their content.”

According to Disney, the company has been raising its concerns with Google for months — but says Google hasn’t done anything in response, and that i anything, Google’s infringement has only increased during that time.

Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO, in an interview with CNBC Thursday, said, “Well, we’ve been aggressive at protecting our IP, and we’ve gone after other companies that have not honored our IP, not respected our IP, not valued it. And this is another example of us doing just that.”

Iger said Disney had been in discussions with Google “basically expressing our concerns” about its AI systems’ alleged infringement. “And ultimately, because we didn’t really make any progress, the conversations didn’t bear fruit, we felt we had no choice but to send them a cease-and-desist [letter].”

Disney’s letter to Google demands that Google “immediately cease further copying, publicly displaying, publicly performing, distributing, and creating derivative works of Disney’s copyrighted characters” in “outputs of Google’s AI Services, including through YouTube’s mobile app, YouTube Shorts and YouTube.” (Variety)

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Man City and Aston Villa win to stay in touch with Premier League leader Arsenal

Manchester City and Aston Villa kept the pressure on Premier League leader Arsenal with wins on Sunday.

Nottingham Forest pulled further away from the relegation zone with a 3-0 victory against Tottenham and Sunderland beat Newcastle 1-0 in the Tyne-Wear derby after an own-goal from Nick Woltemade.

Arsenal had extended its lead at the top of the standings to five points with a 2-1 win against Wolves on Saturday. But a day later its closest rivals both responded with victories – second-place City winning 3-0 at Crystal Palace and Villa, in third, twice coming back to beat West Ham 3-2 at the London Stadium.

City is two points behind Arsenal and Villa is a point further back.

Beaten by Palace in the FA Cup final last season, City exacted some revenge to take all three points at Selhurst Park.

“They are so strong. Every time we play against them it’s so difficult,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “Still, we are not top, but we are learning and after what happened we will be closer in the future.”

Erling Haaland scored his 101st Premier League goal to put City in front late in the first half and he got his second of the match with an 89th-minute penalty. The Norwegian has 36 goals in 27 appearances for club and country in another remarkable scoring season. He is the league’s leading scorer with 17 goals.

Phil Foden got City’s other goal in between Haaland’s double.

Morgan Rogers scored twice in the second half to extend Aston Villa’s winning run to nine-straight games in all competitions and keep Unai Emery’s team on the heels of Arsenal and City.

Villa has lost just one of its last 13 games in the league and won 10 of its last 11, but twice had to come from behind at relegation fighting West Ham.

“We feel unstoppable, but we are making it difficult for ourselves,” Rogers said. “The battle and resilience we have means we know we can get back into it against a good team.

“We want to keep this going, it’s about being confident and I’m feeling good.”

Mateus Fernandes scored the fastest goal in England’s top flight this season when putting the home team 1-0 up after just 29 seconds. But Konstantinos Mavropanos’ own-goal leveled the game eight minutes later.

Jarrod Bowen then gave West Ham the lead at halftime with his second goal in as many games in the 24th.

Rogers leveled the game again five minutes after the break and struck the winner in the 79th.

The pressure is mounting on Tottenham coach Thomas Frank, who was left infuriated after a latest loss.

Spurs have won just one of their last seven games in the league and face defending champion Liverpool at home next week. (JapanToday)

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US could ask foreign tourists for five-year social media history before entry

Tourists from dozens of countries including the UK could be asked to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry to the United States, under a new proposal unveiled by American officials.

The new condition would affect people from dozens of countries who are eligible to visit the US for 90 days without a visa, as long as they have filled out an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form.

Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has moved to toughen US borders more generally – citing national security as a reason.

Analysts say the new plan could pose an obstacle to potential visitors, or harm their digital rights.

Asked whether the proposal could lead to a steep drop-off in tourism to the US, Trump said he was not concerned.

“No. We’re doing so well,” the president said on Wednesday.

“We just want people to come over here, and safe. We want safety. We want security.

“We want to make sure we’re not letting the wrong people come enter our country.”

The US expects a major influx of foreign tourists next year, as it hosts the men’s football World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, and for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The proposal document was filed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its component agency Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

It was published in the Federal Register, the official journal of the US government.

The proposal says “the data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last 5 years”, without giving further details of which specific information will be required.

The existing ESTA requires a comparatively limited amount of information from travellers, as well as a one-off payment of $40 (£30). It is accessible to citizens of about 40 countries – including the UK, Ireland, France, Australia and Japan – and allows them to visit the US multiple times during a two-year period.

As well as the collection of social media information, the new document proposes the gathering of an applicant’s telephone numbers and email addresses used over the last five and 10 years respectively, and more information about their family members.

The text cites an executive order from Trump in January, titled “Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats”.

The new proposal regarding ESTA data collection for tourists invites views from the public for 60 days.

“Nothing has changed on this front for those coming to the United States,” a spokesperson for CBP said in a statement.

“This is not a final rule, it is simply the first step in starting a discussion to have new policy options to keep the American people safe.”

Sophia Cope, of digital rights organisation the Electronic Frontier Foundation, criticised the plan, telling the New York Times it could “exacerbate civil liberties harms”.

Meanwhile, immigration law practice Fragomen suggested there could be practical impacts as applicants could face longer waits for ESTA approvals. (BBC)

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“Street Fighter” Trailer: Chun-Li, Ryu, Ken and more are brought to life in new live-action film

A teaser trailer has been released for the new “Street Fighter” live-action film, featuring Chun-Li, Ken, Ryu and more characters from the highly popular video game franchise.

The trailer debuted during the 2025 Game Awards, where the film’s cast took the stage to introduce the first look at the movie.

The new “Street Fighter” movie is set in 1993, and, according to an official synopsis: “Estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s game over!”

In addition to Koji, Centineo and Liang, the cast includes Cody Rhodes as Guile, Orville Peck as Vega, 50 Cent as Balrog, Jason Momoa as Blanka, Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim, Oliver Richters as Zangief, Hirooki Goto as E. Honda, David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, Roman Reigns as Akuma, Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki, Eric André as Don Sauvage, Mel Jarnson as Cammy, Rayna Vallandingham as Juli and Alexander Volkanovski as Joe.

“Street Fighter” is directed by Kitao Sakurai from a screenplay by Dalan Musson. Legendary co-produced with Japanese video game developer Capcom, while Paramount Pictures is distributing the film.

“Street Fighter” hits theaters Oct. 16, 2026. (Variety)

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Ukrainian drone attack kills 2 in Russia as over 1 million people in Ukraine lose power

A Ukrainian drone attack in southwestern Russia killed two people on Saturday as parts of Ukraine went without power following Russian assaults on energy infrastructure hours before peace talks were to restart in Germany.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials will hold a series of meetings in Berlin in the coming days, adding that he will personally meet with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys.

“Most importantly, I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace — a political agreement to end the war,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation late Saturday.

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are traveling to Berlin for the talks, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

American officials have tried for months to navigate the demands of each side as Trump presses for a swift end to Russia’s war and grows increasingly exasperated by delays. The search for possible compromises has run into major obstacles, including the possession of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, mostly occupied by Russia but parts of which remain under Ukrainian control.

“The chance is considerable at this moment, and it matters for our every city, for our every Ukrainian community,” Zelenskyy said. “We are working to ensure that peace for Ukraine is dignified, and to secure a guarantee — a guarantee, above all, that Russia will not return to Ukraine for a third invasion.”

The drone attack in Russia’s Saratov region damaged a residential building and several windows were also blown out at a kindergarten and clinic, said Gov. Roman Busargin. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.

In Ukraine, Russia launched overnight drone and missile strikes on five Ukrainian regions, targeting energy and port infrastructure. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that over a million people were without electricity.

Zelenskyy said Russia had sent over 450 drones and 30 missiles into Ukraine overnight.

An attack on the Black Sea city of Odesa caused grain silos to catch fire at the port, Ukrainian deputy prime minister and reconstruction minister Oleksiy Kuleba said. Two people were wounded in attacks on the wider Odesa region, according to regional head Oleh Kiper.

Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call “weaponizing” the cold. (JapanToday)

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Box Office: “Zootopia 2” returns to No. 1 as “Ella McCay” suffers one of worst debuts ever for Disney with $2m

Disney is experiencing the highs and lows the box office has to offer. On one hand, the studio’s animated sequel “Zootopia 2” returned to No. 1 in North America in its third weekend after sprinting past the $1 billion mark. On the other, the political dramedy “Ella McCay” cratered with $2.1 million in its domestic debut, suffering one of the worst openings in modern times for Disney.

To be fair, “Ella McCay” cost $35 million to produce, which is way less than Disney tends to spend on its theatrical releases. Most of the studio’s movies — including franchise fare from Marvel and “Avatar,” as well as family-friendly sensations like “Inside Out 2” and “Lilo & Stitch” — typically carry budgets above $200 million. Although “Ella McCay” isn’t in danger of turning a profit for Disney, the PG-13 misfire probably won’t cause heads to roll, either.

“Ella McCay,” written and directed by “The Simpsons” co-creator and “As Good As It Gets” filmmaker James L. Brooks, landed behind already low projections of $4 million. It’s not exactly a mystery as to why ticket sales missed the mark. “Ella McCay” is the kind of mid-budget film that studios hardly make anymore because audiences don’t show up to see them. And this one — a comedic drama about a young politician (Emma Mackey) who unexpectedly becomes her state’s governor — was roundly rejected by critics (a 24% Rotten Tomatoes average) and moviegoers (a “B-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls). “Ella McCay” continues a miserable box office run for Brooks after 2004’s “Spanglish” ($55 million against an $80 million budget) and 2010’s “How Do You Know?” ($48 million against a $120 million budget). However, the Oscar-winner could end his theatrical dry spell with Disney and 20th Century’s “The Simpsons Movie” in 2027.

“James L. Brooks defined character storytelling in the ‘80s and ‘90s with a string of award-winning comedy dramas,” says analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. “Today, you can find material like this on television and even on social media, where it benefits from authenticity.”

“Zootopia 2,” after ceding the top spot to Universal and Blumhouse’s horror sequel “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” returned to first place with $26.3 million in its third weekend, a 39% decline from its prior outing. The family-friendly adventure has grossed $259 million domestically and $1.13 billion globally to date to stand as just the second Hollywood release this year to cross the coveted $1 billion mark.

“Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” slid to second place with $19.5 million, a brutal 70% drop from its scary-good $64 million debut. That’s rough, but not as bad as the original “Five Nights at Freddy’s” — which cratered by 76.2% in its second weekend while playing simultaneously on streaming. Still, “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” cost just $36 million and registers as an undisputed win for Blumhouse, having already grossed $95 million and $173 million globally after two weekends in theaters.

“Wicked: For Good” remained at No. 3 with $8.5 million in its fourth weekend of release, a 51% decline from its prior outing. So far, Universal’s big-budget musical has earned $312 million domestically and $467 million globally. “Wicked: For Good” appears to be running out of steam much faster than its predecessor, 2024’s “Wicked,” which powered to $474 million in North America and $758 million globally.

A standout at the specialty box office includes Chloe Zhao’s “Hamnet” with $1.5 million from 749 venues. (That’s roughly $500,000 less than “Ella McCay” despite playing in a fraction of the number of theaters.) So far, “Hamnet, a well-reviewed tragedy starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal that follows the death of William Shakespeare’s son, has amassed $7 million to date. (Variety)

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11 killed, 29 wounded in shooting at Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach; one gunman also dead

At least 12 people were killed and 29 wounded when gunmen fired on a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday in what Australian police and officials described as a terrorist attack.

One suspected gunman was killed ‌and another was in a critical condition, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told a press conference. At least 29 people injured, including two police officers, were taken to hospital, he said.

Police were investigating whether a third gunman was involved in the shooting, and a bomb-disposal unit was working on several suspected improvised explosive devices in cars parked near the beach, Lanyon said.

Mike Burgess, a top Australian intelligence official, said one ⁠of the suspected attackers was known to authorities but had not been deemed an immediate threat.

Sunday’s shootings ‍were the most serious of a string of antisemitic attacks on synagogues, buildings and cars in Australia since the beginning of ‍Israel’s war in Gaza in October ‍2023.

Mass shootings are rare in Australia, one of the world’s safest countries. Sunday’s attack was the worst such incident in the country since 1996, when a gunman ⁠killed 35 people at a tourist site in the southern state of Tasmania.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened a meeting of the country’s national security council and condemned the attack, saying the evil that was unleashed was “beyond comprehension”.

“This is a targeted attack on ​Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith,” he said. “At this dark moment for our nation, our police and security agencies are working to determine anyone associated with this outrage.”

Witnesses said the shooting at the famed beach on a hot summer’s evening lasted about 10 minutes, sending hundreds of people scattering along the sand and into nearby streets and parks. Police said around 1,000 people had attended the Hanukkah event alone.

“I was just getting ready to go home, and I was packing my bag, was ⁠ready to catch my bus, and then I started hearing the shots,” said Bondi Junction resident Marcos Carvalho, 38.

“We all panicked and started running as well. So we left everything behind. We just ran through the hill,” he said. “I must have heard, I don’t know, maybe, like, 40, 50 shots.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Jewish people who had gone to light the first candle of the Hanukkah holiday on the beach had been attacked by “vile terrorists”.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was appalled by the shooting and that Australia’s government must “come to its senses” after countless warnings.

“These are the results of the antisemitic rampage in the streets of Australia over the past two years, with the antisemitic and inciting calls of ‘Globalise the Intifada’ that were realized today.”

One of the world’s most famous beaches, Bondi is typically crowded with locals and tourists.

“If we were targeted deliberately in this way, it’s something of a scale that none of us could have ever fathomed. It’s a horrific thing,” Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told Sky News, adding his media adviser had been wounded in the attack. (JapanToday)

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Higa becomes first Japanese golfer to win Asian Tour order of merit

Kazuki Higa made history as the first golfer from Japan to win the Asian Tour order of merit after finishing seventh at the season-ending Saudi Open.

Higa carded a four-under-par 68 in Saturday’s final round at Dirab Golf and Country Club, near Riyadh, to finish on 16-under, seven behind the winner Bjorn Hellgren of Sweden.

It was enough to see Higa top the standings ahead of Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent.

“I am so, so happy. This is a great honour,” said the 30-year-old Higa.

“I just love playing golf. That’s what it’s about. I can’t wait to get home to see my family.”

Higa also earned an exemption into the British Open for his achievement.

The ultra-consistent Higa started the year with three top 10s in the Philippines, India and New Zealand.

But it was back-to-back wins in September at the Shinhan Donghae Open in South Korea and the Yeangder TPC in Taiwan that shot him up the standings.

A tie for second at the International Series Philippines in October propelled him to the top of the order of merit and he never looked back.

“I have worked very hard for this,” Higa said. “I felt that last year changed things, all the hard work started to pay off and it’s amazing to see it all pay off this week.” (JapanToday)

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FIFA accused of “monumental betrayal” over latest World Cup ticket prices

Soccer fans have accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” after latest prices for World Cup tickets began to circulate on Thursday.

The governing body allocates 8% of tickets to national associations for games involving their team to sell to the most loyal fans.

And a list published by the German soccer federation revealed prices ranged from $180-$700 for varying group stage games. The lowest price for the final was $4,185 and the highest was $8,680.

Those group-stage prices are very different from FIFA’s claims of $60 tickets being available, while the target from United States soccer officials when bidding for the tournament seven years ago was to offer hundreds of thousands of $21 seats across the opening phase of games.

Fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) described the current prices as “extortionate.”

“This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is,” it said in a statement.

The English Football Association shared pricing information with the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) on Thursday evening, which showed that if a fan bought a ticket for every game through to the final it would cost just over $7,000.

FIFA said in September that tickets released through its website would initially range from $60 for group-stage matches to $6,730 for the final. But those prices are subject to change as it adopts dynamic pricing for the first time at the World Cup.

FIFA tickets are available in four categories, with the best seats in Category 1.

In the price list published by the German federation, there were only three categories.

The lowest priced ticket was $180 for Germany’s opening group game against Curacao in Houston. The lowest price for the semifinal was $920 rising to $1,125.

The FSE called on FIFA to immediately halt ticket sales via national associations “until a solution that respects the tradition, universality, and cultural significance of the World Cup is found.”

The Associated Press approached FIFA for comment.

FIFA launched its third phase of widespread ticket sales Thursday, with fans now able to apply for specific matches for the first time through its “Random Selection Draw.”

Following last week’s draw for the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, an updated schedule has been published.

That means fans know when and where the likes of Lionel Messi and Argentina will play. Previous ticket ballots were blind as the qualification period had not even been completed and the draw was yet to take place.

Now participating nations have been placed in groups, with their paths through the tournament determined. For instance, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could go on to meet in the quarterfinals in Kansas City if both Argentina and Portugal top their respective groups.

Not that fans are guaranteed to get tickets to the games they apply for.

The draw opened Dec 11 at 11 a.m. ET (1600 GMT) and closes Jan 13, 2026.

FIFA says ticket applications can be made at any point during this window and the timing of entry will not impact the chances of success. Fans can apply via FIFA’s website for a maximum of four tickets per household per match and a maximum of 40 tickets throughout the tournament.

Fans will need a FIFA ID to apply for tickets and can pick which matches and which pricing category they want to apply for.

Successful applicants will be notified by email in February and charged automatically.

The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994 prices ranged from $25 to $475. In Qatar in 2022 prices ranged from around $70 to $1,600 when ticket details were announced.

Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 are already going for in excess of $11,000 on secondary resale sites.

For this tournament FIFA has also set up its own resale platform where it charges a 15% fee based on the total resale price.

FIFA said that closer to the tournament any remaining tickets will go on general sale on a first-come, first-served basis.

It did not reveal a time frame for the release of those remaining tickets. (JapanToday)