FIFA begins ticket sales for World Cup

FIFA has started sales of tickets for the 2026 World Cup, billed to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. FIFA recently explained the process for registration and advance ticket purchase, officially kicking off the road to the biggest tournament in the history of football. It should be noted that this is the first sales phase, which is a Visa Presale Lottery; this phase began yesterday and ends on September 19.

The presale system, according to FIFA, is the first opportunity for fans to secure their place in the North American stadiums, where the 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be played.

At this stage, only pre-registered Visa cardholders will be granted exclusive access, allowing them to participate in a random selection process for a chance to buy tickets before the public.

FIFA announced that the base price for group stage tickets will be $60. However, premium seats for the tournament final will go as high as $6,730, depending on seat location and category.

This strategy aims to offer accessible options for all fans while maintaining VIP packages for those seeking premium experiences. FIFA said that it would notify winners in the draw by email from September 29, adding that they would be assigned a specific date and time to purchase their tickets, beginning October 1, 2025. “However, selection does not guarantee ticket availability at the assigned time,” it added.

Once sales open, it said, individual tickets for the 104 matches, venue-specific ticket packages and team-specific ticket packages would become available.

The world football governing body said that the Visa Preferred Presale phase is only the beginning, as more ticketing phases will open in the coming months.

“We are ten months away from the start of the FIFA World Cup 26, and we’re excited to launch the first ticket sales phase,” said the Chief Operating Officer of the tournament, Heimo Schirgi.  He said the non-Visa cardholders can buy tickets outside the pre-sale phase from October until the final match on Sunday, July 19, 2026.

Advising fans to buy tickets exclusively from FIFA.com/tickets, it warned that “any other source or website could compromise the validity of your tickets.”