World Cup organisers claim they were very happy with ticket sales for June's showpiece and angrily slammed alarmist foreign reports about South African crime that could frighten off fans.
The sport's governing body said 1.2 million applications were received for tickets from 192 countries during the third phase of sales that ended last week, bringing applications to about two million for the total of three million seats.
Interest appeared to be growing among South Africans, previously a major concern for Fifa , with almost one million applications, nearly 80 percent of the total, in the latest sales phase.
More than 50,000 applications came from the United States, which has consistently led foreign demand, with another 41,529 from Britain. Sales in Germany, usually a major fan base, were just under 15,000.
Six matches had been oversubscribed in all the categories of seats, including the final and two semi-finals.
Officials said a spate of recent European reports of low interest in the tournament had focused only on tickets sold through national federations and did not take account of other ways seats could be purchased.
General secretary Jerome Valcke said a shortage of flights to South Africa and their high cost was a problem but he condemned media reports slating the host country's high levels of crime, and accommodation and transport problems.
"It's sad that every morning when you wake up people are saying you should not go to South Africa . . . it's insane and it is completely wrong," Valcke said.
Every country had security issues, including the United States and Britain, he added.
"Where can we organise the World Cup? On the moon? Where there is no-one?" he asked. "Don't kill the World Cup before the World Cup has taken place."