Soccer fans were able to request tickets on Thursday to attend specific matches at next year’s World Cup for the first time, as FIFA opened its final sales phase.
Following last week’s draw for the 2026 tournament, in which the United States, Canada and Mexico will co-host, an updated schedule was released.
That means fans now know when and where stars like Lionel Messi will play and defending champions Argentina. Previous ticket draws were blind, as the qualification period hadn’t even been completed and the draw had not yet taken place.
Now the participating nations have been placed into groups, with their possible paths through the tournament laid out. For example, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could meet in the quarterfinals in Kansas City if Argentina and Portugal finish first in their groups.
However, there is no guarantee that fans will obtain tickets to the matches they apply for.
The third phase of ticket sales is called the “random draw,” and fans will be notified whether their application was successful in the latest lottery.
How to Apply for Tickets in the Random Draw?
The draw opened on December 11 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (1600 GMT) and closes on January 13, 2026.
“The exact moment fans sign up for the random draw will not affect their chances of being selected,” FIFA said.
Fans may request a maximum of four tickets per household per match and up to 40 tickets for the entire tournament through FIFA’s website.
Fans will need a FIFA ID to request tickets and can choose which matches and which price categories they want to apply for.
There are four categories, with the best seats in Category 1, and Category 4 seats somewhere near the upper tiers of the stadiums.
Successful applicants will be notified by email in February, and charges will be automatically processed.
Prices
FIFA said in September that ticket prices would initially range from $60 for group-stage matches to $6,730 for the final. Those prices are subject to change and, in many cases, are likely to rise as FIFA uses dynamic pricing for the first time at a World Cup.
The last time the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994, prices ranged from about $25 to $475. At Qatar 2022, prices ranged roughly from $70 to $1,600 when the ticket details emerged.
Final tickets for the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 are already topping $11,000 on secondary resale sites.
For this tournament, FIFA has also set up its own resale platform, charging a 15% fee based on the total resale price.
FIFA allocates 8% of the tickets to national associations for matches involving their team to sell to traveling fans.
Prices for those tickets began circulating on Thursday.
In a list published by the German Football Federation, prices ranged from 180 to 700 for various group-stage matches.
The lowest price for the final was 4,185 and the highest was 8,680.
The prices were described as “extortionate” by Football Supporters Europe, the fans’ organization.
“This is a monumental betrayal of World Cup tradition, ignoring the contribution of fans to the spectacle,” FSE said in a statement.
Last Chance
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 disclose a timeframe for releasing those remaining tickets.
