KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — This time next week, ticket sales open for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Here’s all you need to know.
Phase 1
The first phase of ticket sales will open with the Visa Presale Draw.
The Visa Presale Draw entry period will open at 11 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 10, and close at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 19. Fans should register and create a FIFA ID at FIFA.com/tickets, if they have not done so already.
Qualifying Visa cardholders can log in during this window using their FIFA ID to enter the draw (subject to terms and conditions).
“With just 10 months to go until the FIFA World Cup 26 kicks off, we are excited to launch the first phase of ticket sales for the tournament,” said FIFA World Cup 2026 Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi.
“This marks a momentous milestone as we build up to this historic event, and we look forward to millions of fans joining us in North America next June,” he added.
You can learn more about the Visa Presale Draw here. Fans must be 18 or older to enter, and no purchase is necessary to enter or win.
After a randomized selection process, successful applicants will be notified via email starting Sept. 29 — and will be given a date and time slot to purchase tickets (subject to availability), with time slots starting from Oct. 1.
A successful draw application does not guarantee that tickets will be available for purchase during the time slot. When ticket sales start, single-match tickets to all 104 matches will be made available. Venue-specific tickets and team-specific tickets will also be made available.
At the start of the sale, fans will be able to secure group-stage tickets from just $60, offering an accessible entry point to the tournament, while the most exclusive seats will reach up to $6,730 for the final – where the two best national teams will compete for the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy.
“Group stage, maybe $250 a person, I’d say. I think that’s a reasonable price,” said Travis Broom, a fan looking to buy tickets. “I mean, it is a lot. I mean, they do have to go through a lot. But at the end of the day, if there’s a big outcome at the end. So if they’re willing to go through the effort in the end, it’s worth it.”
Due to the anticipated high demand, FIFA World Cup tickets are released in phases, with the Visa Presale Draw marking the first phase. Further ticket sales will be launched in the coming months. Fans who are not eligible to be part of the Visa Presale Draw, were unsuccessful in the draw or would like to make additional purchases will be able to do so in subsequent sales phases.
The additional ticket sales phases will begin in October, through to the final match on Sunday, July 19, 2026.
Phase 2
“Early Ticket Draw,” with the registration window is expected to take place from Oct. 27 to Oct. 31 and time slots for purchase from mid-November to early December.
Similar to the first phase, this will consist of an application, followed by a randomized selection process. Successful applicants will receive a time slot to purchase tickets (subject to availability).
Phase 3
“Random Selection Draw,” with registration will begin shortly after the “Final Draw” for the FIFA World Cup 26. During this phase, fans will be able to submit applications for specific matches after the final draw has revealed most of the group-stage matchups.
“Do an application, everything. I mean. Yeah. Why are you going to try to fill an application now when you’re just trying to see the game pay whatever it takes to pay and see the game. You don’t need all that,” Evelyn Aguilar said.
Closer to the tournament, fans will be able to buy any remaining inventory on a first-come, first-served basis.
The purchasing process may vary depending on the phase, payment method and ticket products. Additional products, including “supporter tickets” (for fans who want to sit with others cheering for the same team) and “conditional supporter tickets” (for supporters who want to reserve a seat for one of their team’s potential matches in a knockout round) are expected to be available closer to the tournament.
“It’s the way I would kind of base that is, who am I watching? How good are they? Are we playing? Are we watching championship caliber teams, people that could possibly be winning it all? Or are we watching the guys that are like the Raiders?” Lavel Bowles said.
Members of American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program will also be given a perk that may help them secure tickets to the matches next summer.
Through a partnership with the tournament, the airline is giving program members the chance to redeem tickets using their accumulated miles.
“Members can save the date and start saving up miles to get first access to redeem miles and lock in their seats for the world’s largest soccer matches,” the airline said in a press release.
The date you are able to redeem tickets depends on your status within the program with executive platinum members getting the first chance on October 13.
Additionally, FIFA will launch a secure, official resale platform for eligible ticket holders at FIFA.com/tickets later this year. This initiative aims to safeguard fans against invalid or unauthorized resale.
Fans can already purchase single-match and multi-match hospitality packages, inclusive of match tickets, at FIFA.com/hospitality. FIFA encourages fans to purchase tickets only through FIFA.com/tickets, the official and preferred source of tickets for the FIFA World Cup.
Hospitality packages and tickets sourced from unofficial sales channels may not be valid.
