All 67,000 seats at Old Trafford for the game on 09 October have been sold for an encounter that has already caught the imagination of a nation.

England are starting their campaign with tough games in Austria and Poland in the next five days, but open their home matches with the visit of Mark Hughes' rapidly improving side.

Wales narrowly missed out on playing in Euro 2004 after finishing just behind Italy in their qualification group and then losing to Russia in a play-off.

It is the first time England have played Wales for 20 years and many people are expecting a tight and exciting contest.

The demand for tickets were unprecedented and David Beckham and co can expect great support from the home fans once again as they look for an important victory.

Adrian Bevington, The FA's Head of Media Relations, said: "We are delighted by the level of support shown by the fans.

"This is potentially a great fixture and this shows the magnitude of the support from the fans for Sven-Goran Eriksson and the players."