Your ultimate guide to scoring a seat at the FIFA World Cup next summer.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is going to be a massive global sporting event. Newly expanded — 48 teams instead of 32, 16 cities across North America, and 104 matches over nearly 40 days — it’ll be at a scale the soccer world has not yet seen. And for the first time in two decades, it’s happening in our backyard. It’s a once-in-a-generation event — and for fans, a once-in-a-lifetime scramble to get in the door. With ticket sales finally underway, the question isn’t just where to buy them, but whether you’ll actually be able to.
If you’ve tried to get seats for a Taylor Swift concert or a Stanley Cup final lately, you know the drill: waiting rooms, lotteries, resale chaos, and heartbreak. Expect the World Cup to be at least that intense. Demand will spike for certain matches (think MetLife in New York or SoFi in Los Angeles) while smaller markets like Kansas City or Guadalajara might offer slightly better odds. Still, this is the World Cup: every ticket will be gold dust.
For months now, friends and parents of soccer-obsessed kids (like myself) have been asking when and where they can get World Cup tickets. Now that sales have officially started, here’s what you need to know about every ticket option, how much each one costs, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Bonus: I recently went through the ticket-buying process myself and can confirm how it works.
The official and safest place to buy tickets is FIFA.com/tickets. FIFA’s ticket sales are rolling out in phases, and the most recent Early Ticket Draw entry period was open through October 31 at 11 a.m. ET. Fans who entered before the deadline are now waiting to see if they’ve been selected for purchasing time slots.
More than one million tickets have already been sold following the Visa Presale Draw, and another million were made available for this Early Ticket Draw phase. To participate, fans needed to log in to FIFA.com/tickets with an existing FIFA ID (or create one) and enter the draw, even if they already joined the earlier presale.
Fans in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. get a 72-hour head start to buy tickets for games in their own country. During that window, 75% of available tickets are set aside for local buyers — your best chance to grab seats before global sales open.
From my experience: I helped my mother-in-law during this window. Her email instructed her to log in at 11 a.m., but after joining the queue, I didn’t actually get through until 1:18 p.m. — so expect to wait.
Because group-stage matchups aren’t set yet, I focused on New York, Boston, and Philadelphia games since I live closest to those locations. Prices initially appeared as low as $60-$150, but once inside the match pages, those lower tiers were unavailable. The cheapest I could add to my cart was about $300, with only Category 1 and 2 seats open. I ended up buying four Round of 16 tickets in Philadelphia and three Quarterfinal tickets, totaling just under $5,000. When I checked back the next day, some smaller-market stadiums still had tickets, but prices and availability hadn’t changed much. Finals tickets were not available at any point in the process.
The next opportunity goes global. Fans who entered the Early Ticket Draw will be randomly selected and given specific time slots to buy. Getting a slot doesn’t guarantee a ticket — high-demand matches can sell out within minutes.
After the Final Draw on December 5, 2025, team matchups and locations will finally be set. FIFA will then open a Random Selection Draw for specific games, so fans can apply for seats once they know who’s playing where.
If you miss out on the lotteries, your final chance comes during FIFA’s “last-minute sales” phase in spring 2026. This is when any remaining tickets go on sale to the general public on FIFA.com/tickets, on a first-come, first-served basis. There’s no random draw — log in with your FIFA ID and try to grab what’s left. FIFA hasn’t said how many tickets will be released or for which games, so expect limited availability and quick sellouts.
FIFA divides seating into four tiers
While those $60 tickets technically exist, they’re rarely available. Most fans only see options in Categories 1 and 2, which means real prices are much higher:
FIFA also limits how many tickets you can buy: 4 per household per match, and no more than 40 total.
So, yes, there are still tickets coming, and there’s a method to the madness. But it requires patience, flexibility, and a willingness to accept that your mid-day Saudi Arabia vs. Paraguay tickets might end up costing more than the iPhone you buy them on.
For fans who don’t want to gamble on lotteries, or who want a premium match experience that feels more Cannes than Copa America, there’s On Location, the official hospitality provider for FIFA World Cup 26.
On Location removes the uncertainty and transforms a World Cup match into a curated event. Think priority entry, premium seats, gourmet food, open bars, climate-controlled lounges, and exclusive access to behind-the-scenes spaces. These are the kind of experiences usually reserved for athletes, sponsors, or heads of state. And they’re now available for anyone to book, if you’re willing to pay for it.
Here’s what the packages look like:
As Paul Caine, President of On Location, told Esquire: “We are delivering the largest hospitality program ever, giving fans unprecedented access to the global tournament. Across North America, fans will enjoy VIP experiences that celebrate the rich cultural and culinary heritage of each host city — plus viewing opportunities that bring them closer to the game than ever before.”
For families or super fans looking for a sure thing, it’s peace of mind with a side of luxury.
A newer and less traditional option comes from a collaboration between FIFA and its blockchain partner, Modex: digital Right to Buy (RTB) tokens sold through FIFA Collect. These aren’t tickets themselves, but they guarantee the ability to purchase tickets later, typically at full price.
Think of an RTB token as a paid reservation. You’re not buying the ticket itself. You’re buying the right to buy that ticket at full price during a dedicated window, meaning no lottery, no virtual queues, no guessing games. If you hold an RTB token and act within your purchase window, you’re guaranteed to get tickets.
They’re appealing for collectors or crypto enthusiasts, but here’s the quick reality check:
So, while RTBs may work for some, fans looking for affordable seats or specific match categories should stick to standard FIFA ticketing phases or hospitality options.
If you couldn’t grab tickets during the official FIFA sales phases, there’s still hope — just not necessarily at official prices. The FIFA Resale Marketplace is now open, offering fans a legitimate, last-chance way into matches across all 16 host cities. It’s the only resale option FIFA endorses, which means every ticket sold through the platform is verified, valid, and delivered securely through the official app.
But make no mistake: this opportunity comes at a cost.
For example, tickets for the U.S. Men’s National Team match in Los Angeles are already starting at $1,500 on the resale market, and premium seats along the halfway line are listed for as much as $100,000. And if you’re dreaming of witnessing the final in New Jersey, you’ll need to brace yourself. Prices currently start at $12,000 and climb north of $57,500 per ticket for top-tier hospitality-level seats.
Even though these numbers are staggering, the resale marketplace remains the safest way to buy tickets if you weren’t able to secure them directly through FIFA. Third-party resale sites are also operating in the United States and Canada, but not in Mexico.
These platforms may appear legitimate and can sometimes offer verified listings, but FIFA does not guarantee the validity of any tickets purchased outside its official channels. Fans who buy from such sites do so at their own risk, as counterfeit or invalid tickets will not be honored at stadium gates.
So yes, the door to the World Cup is still open, it’s just that, for most resale buyers, it may take a platinum card or a Powerball win to walk through it.
Each qualified nation gets a set number of tickets for its own matches, handled by its national soccer federation, like U.S. Soccer, the English FA, or the Mexican Football Federation. These tickets are offered through separate processes to each federation’s registered fans and will be available closer to the tournament. If you want to follow your team, you’ll need to register with your federation’s supporters program and buy through their official channel once their allocation opens.
For fans who’d rather be part of the World Cup than just watch it, there’s FIFA’s Volunteer Programme, now open at volunteer.fifa.com/invite/FWC26. Volunteers help run the tournament across all 16 host cities, working in roles like fan services, logistics, or media support. It’s unpaid (you won’t be sitting in the stands), but you’ll get inside access to the world’s biggest sporting event.
As anyone who’s ever sat in an online ticket queue for hours knows, preparation is half the battle.
The World Cup is about goals and glory, but getting in requires patience and planning. Whether you’re splurging on VIP access, crossing your fingers in a virtual queue, or trying to make a memory for your soccer-obsessed kid, the 2026 World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And this time, it’s right here at home.
