The first opportunity to get tickets for the 2026 World Cup is on Wednesday (September 10). But pay attention: the tickets may not be easy to get — and they probably won’t be cheap.
The demand for the popular men’s championship is expected to increase even more when the tournament begins in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in June 2026.
FIFA, the organization behind the World Cup, is also changing how it sells tickets for its flagship tournament, which could exacerbate the challenges of buying them.
The most important thing is that FIFA is about to unveil a controversial pricing system: they say it’s not the same as dynamic pricing — but prices will be adjusted according to demand.
Here’s what you need to know about World Cup ticket sales.
There will be several ticket sale dates
The first window to buy tickets will open on September 10 and close on September 19 — but only for qualified VISA cardholders. And they must first register their interest with FIFA. And people won’t be able to buy tickets at that time.
According to information provided by FIFA, applicants will be drawn through a lottery. If approved, they will receive a specific date and time to buy tickets starting October 1.
Those selected will have the chance to buy tickets for any of the 104 matches to be held across the three countries next year — including the final. Buyers simply won’t know who will be playing, as the draw will only take place on December 5.
Specific ticket packages for each venue, i.e., tickets for some games in a specific host city like Boston or Mexico City, will also be available. Additionally, spectators will be able to buy national team-specific tickets, but only for the three group stage games each team will play.
Other ticket purchase opportunities will emerge, including at the end of October after the group stage draw, and next year.
FIFA will also run a resale platform for ticket holders who no longer wish to attend a match, as it has done in previous tournaments.
Tickets will start at US$ 60 per game — with a big caveat
FIFA announced that some group stage tickets will start at US$ 60, claiming this offers “an accessible entry point to the tournament.” Still, the association notes that the “most exclusive” tickets could reach US$ 6,730 for the final.
But what they aren’t disclosing as openly is that the organization will also implement prices that fluctuate with demand, a novelty for the World Cup.
It’s not dynamic pricing per se; they’re calling it “variable pricing.” But the differences between the two could be subtle.
Heimo Schirgi, FIFA World Cup 2026 Operations Director, says variable pricing means that “the way prices are adjusted isn’t as sharp and is more balanced across different phases.”
A FIFA executive also told NPR that prices won’t be set by “automated algorithms,” but guided by a team that will monitor and make regular real-time adjustments to ticket prices based on supply and demand — suggesting FIFA executives may ultimately decide how low they’re willing to go. (The executive spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the press.)
FIFA justified the decision by saying it’s simply adapting to the U.S. and Canadian markets, where pro teams often use the controversial practice of demand-based ticket pricing, like airlines or hotels.
FIFA’s “variable pricing” will apply from the start of the October sales window, meaning the US$ 60 “accessible entry point” could rise quickly depending on how aggressively the organization prices.
Demand-adjusted prices could also be used on FIFA’s planned resale platform in the U.S. and Canada, though FIFA hasn’t provided exact details.
However, in Mexico, the resale platform will work as an exchange, meaning buyers can get back up to what they paid FIFA for a ticket — and no more. That’s how FIFA ran resale platforms in the past.
Demand for the 2026 World Cup will likely be huge
Of course, demand-based pricing doesn’t necessarily mean prices will only go up. At this year’s FIFA Club World Cup — held in the U.S. — prices dropped for several games because demand was lower than expected.
But the World Cup is far bigger and more established than the Club World Cup. FIFA has already said it expects more than 5 million attendees for next year’s edition.
That would shatter the previous record from 1994, the last time the U.S. hosted, which drew more than 3.5 million spectators.
That’s due in part to the tournament’s massive expansion to 48 teams, up from 32 at the previous World Cup in Qatar. The 2026 World Cup will span three countries and venues like MetLife Stadium, which holds over 80,000 people.
Still, demand will likely outstrip supply, making tickets hard to get.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA said it received more than 23 million requests for about 3.4 million tickets, giving applicants just a 15% success rate.
There are other ways to get tickets — including hospitality packages and a “right to buy” system. For those who want to skip the uncertainty of general sales, there’s another option — but it’ll cost you.
They’re called “hospitality tickets,” and these premium tickets are familiar to U.S. fans. They provide access to exclusive areas like suites, plus food and drinks.
But they’re pricey. Hospitality tickets went on sale earlier this year, including single-game options and packages up to US$ 73,200.
Prices have fluctuated with demand all year. The cheapest single-game ticket is now listed at US$ 1,350.
FIFA also launched a new sales method called “right to buy,” or RTBs. They guarantee buyers a chance to purchase tickets for specific games, including the final. Fans buy digital cards FIFA periodically releases or “drops.” They’re like electronic baseball cards, often featuring World Cup highlights.
Prices range from hundreds of dollars for guaranteed playoff-game buys to cheaper “surprise packages” that may or may not include an RTB. That doesn’t include the actual ticket cost, which buyers pay later.
FIFA even runs a marketplace where RTB owners can buy and sell them.
It could be the most profitable World Cup ever
Variable pricing plus more games will likely make this the most lucrative World Cup ever.
Bloomberg Intelligence estimates FIFA could generate a record US$ 4.4 billion, not just from general sales but heavy hospitality investment. That’s a 378% jump from the last men’s tournament in Qatar, per stock research analyst Kevin Near, thanks in part to 104 matches and 48 teams.
“These stadiums are huge, with massive capacity,” Near says. “And with such a focus on premium and luxury spaces, that’s where much of the revenue will come from.”
FIFA is sensitive to profit-only accusations, saying most tournament revenue goes to its 211 member associations to grow soccer worldwide.
“As part of that mission, which we take seriously, we aim to optimize revenue but also stadium attendance — it’s always a balance,” Schirgi of FIFA World Cup 26 said in an email.
Of course, that balance won’t necessarily mean cheap tickets. So when the first sales window opens Wednesday, one thing’s for sure: scoring a World Cup ticket could be quite the adventure.
Source: npr.org by Rafael Nam