Young fans wearing Japanese flag hair ribbons sit on the stand prior the start of the Women's World Cup Group D soccer match between Argentina and Japan at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Monday, June 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Young fans wearing Japanese flag hair ribbons sit on the stand prior the start of the Women's World Cup Group D soccer match between Argentina and Japan at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Monday, June 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

PARIS (AP) — FIFA has withdrawn a claim that 1 million tickets have been sold for the Women’s World Cup and now says the total includes people paying nothing to attend games, including VIPs and even medical staff.

FIFA deleted a tweet posted on Tuesday that said: “One million tickets for the @FIFAWWC 2019 have now been sold!”

The sport’s governing body told The Associated Press on Wednesday that 1 million tickets had been “allocated,” which includes those sold to fans and provided for free.

FIFA says the 1 million total also includes “delegations of the teams playing, commercial affiliates, observers, medical and technical staff.”

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FIFA has already pulled back from a claim that 20 of the 52 matches were sold out, saying Tuesday that only 14 matches had no availability.

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