With just over six months until the start of the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, buying tickets for matches involves a good dose of luck and patience – in addition, of course, to financial availability. The ball rolls from June 11 to July 19.
A week after the draw which defined the groups of the first phase and the possible routes of each country for the round of 16, FIFA begins this Thursday (11) the third phase of ticket sales, described by the entity as a “draw”. The system is scheduled to open at 1 p.m. (Brasilia time).
From this moment, until January 13, any fan will be able to access the official FIFA portal, create a “FIFA ID” and request specific tickets (match, category and quantity).
At this point, it doesn’t matter whether registration is on the first or last day, because, depending on the entity, there is no benefit on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the period ends, a draw will take place in February and fans will be informed of the results. If selected, the ticket price will be charged automatically.
For each registration, there are three possible outcomes: “success”, when the fan receives all the requested tickets; “partial success”, which entitles you to tickets for only some of the chosen matches; and “unsuccessful,” indicating that the buyer was not selected. There will be a limit of four tickets per game and 40 total per purchaser.
FIFA has not officially released ticket prices. Similar to what it did during this year’s Club World Cup in the United States, the entity will adopt a dynamic pricing system, with values adjusted according to demand.
In matches involving popular teams like Brazil, Argentina, France and England, tickets are expected to be more expensive. In less attractive conflicts, prices may fall.
According to The Athletic website, there were significant readjustments between the first and second phases of sales. The publication also indicates that inflows ranged between R$319 and R$33,949 during the second phase. A new adjustment should take place this Thursday. The updated values will only be displayed after opening this phase.
The two previous phases also took place by draw. The first was the “Visa Presale”, reserved exclusively for Visa card holders. Then, the “Early Ticket Draw”, open to the general public. In both cases, those selected were given one hour to purchase tickets based on availability. In total, the phases sold almost 2 million tickets, with strong demand from host countries and markets such as Brazil, England and Germany.
There are four categories of tickets. In category 1, places are sold in the lower stands or in the noble sector of the upper ring. In category 2, there are seats on the upper side deck. In category 3, places in the upper sector behind the goal. Category 4 corresponds to the farthest corners and most remote areas of the terrain.
Of the total tickets available for each match, approximately 8% will be allocated to the federations of the countries involved in the clashes. These tickets will be sold according to the criteria defined by each entity. These tickets are called “PMA tickets”, equivalent to the old selection packages.
The CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) informed the journalist that FIFA offered two options for selling tickets: via the FIFA website (My Team area) or by transmitting “access codes” to supporters. Historically, the CBF uses “My Team”, because its internal assessment is that the system has worked well in recent editions, serving Brazilian fans.
Ticket requests are subject to a lottery when demand exceeds capacity. Sales through My Team start on December 11 and end on January 13.
For foreigners, a ticket to the 2026 World Cup does not guarantee entry into the United States. You will need to obtain a visitor visa or qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. The US government recommends applying for a visa in advance, due to long delays.
Recently, FIFA and the US government announced the creation of “Fifa PASS”, which will allow accelerated interview scheduling (between 6 and 8 weeks) for those who purchase tickets through the official platform. Even so, the supporter will normally need to apply for a visa, and purchasing a ticket does not guarantee that the visa will be granted.
President Donald Trump recently said government agencies have worked “to ensure that soccer fans around the world are properly screened and can come to the United States next summer without problems.”
The president also said his government has expedited the issuance of visas for citizens of most countries, reducing the waiting time to 60 days or less. He said the World Cup could generate US$30 billion (R$159 billion) and create 200,000 jobs.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department has hired 400 additional consular officers to process applications, doubling its presence in some countries.
According to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, between 5 and 10 million people are expected to travel to the United States to watch the matches.
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