The 3.2 million tickets for the World Cup in Germany next year will each contain an RFID chip. FT Deutschland last week reported that Philips will manufacture the chip, which FIFA hopes will guard them against forgeries and the black market. The first phase of ticket sales - 812,000 tickets - will be through a draw from applications received by 31 March.

Each ticket will look like an airline ticket, with the applicant's name on it. Tickets aren't transferable; the applicant will have to attend the game. The small microchip on the ticket contains only access information, but no personal data.

It is the first time that RFID tickets have been sold on such a large scale, although the experiment doesn't come cheap. Each RFID chip costs 10 eurocent and with 3.2 million tickets the organisers have to cough up at least € 320.000. However, Philips hopes that after the World Cup RFID ticketing will be more widely accepted and the price may drop.

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