How do I get tickets for the 2026 World Cup and how much do they cost?
It’s less than a year now until the 2026 World Cup, and it’s going to look very different to previous tournaments.
This World Cup sees the format expand from 32 teams to 48 and one thing that does mean is far more matches taking place and more opportunities to secure tickets to see the action live.
The World Cup will also take place across three countries for the first time, with USA hosting the vast majority of the games but plenty taking place in Canada and Mexico as well. All three of those countries have qualified automatically and been assigned specific spots in the draw, meaning they know when and where they will be playing, if not yet who against.
You can check out how the new World Cup format works here, and read on for details of how to get those precious tickets…
When do World Cup 2026 tickets go on sale?
The first of three phases of 2026 World Cup ticket sales has begun, with fans who are over 18 with a registered FIFA ID and Visa card can enter a presale draw until Friday September 19, with successful applicants chosen at random and given the chance to buy tickets from the start of October.
The second phase begins in late October, again with an application process and successful applicants selected at random to get the chance to buy tickets sometime between late November and early December.
The final phase will begin in December, after the group-stage draw has taken place and allow fans to make applications for tickets to specific matches.
You can register your interest with FIFA here to receive updates on ticket sales and availability.
How can I get World Cup 2026 tickets?
Once tickets are available, the main and safest way to secure them will be direct from FIFA’s ticket portal.
READ: 2026 World Cup qualification – who’s already in and who is likely to join them
How much do World Cup 2026 tickets cost?
Prices for group-stage tickets will start from as little as $60 (around £45), rising to a top price of $6730 (about £5k) for the final at MetLife Stadium.
But there have been suggestions that FIFA will employ dynamic pricing mechanisms on ticket sales. Remember all the noise when Oasis tickets went on sale? Yeah, that.
Can I buy them from a third party?
There will almost certainly be an officially approved resale platform, but beyond that caution is advised. Third-party resellers violate FIFA policy and tickets purchased via these routes may not be valid or accepted at venues.
When and where are England playing their games?
Whoa, hold your horses there, big fella. They’ve got to qualify first. Although it would take something special for them to mess it up after winning all five games thus far. If they do win their group and qualify directly – which they definitely should – England will learn the dates and venues for their matches when the draw takes place in December.
One further potential wrinkle here is that the European qualification play-offs – which could of course still involve England or any of the other home nations – won’t take place until March 2026. The two teams who qualify by that route, as well as the two teams who qualify via the last-chance inter-confederation play-offs, will be given placeholder spots in the December draw. So their potential World Cup journey can at that point be narrowed down somewhat but not entirely confirmed. All the latest details on World Cup qualification can be found here.
READ: 2026 World Cup Power Rankings
Where will the 2026 World Cup final be played?
The 2026 World Cup final will take place on July 19 2026 at the MetLife Stadium just outside New York.
It is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets NFL teams, and was also the venue for the 2025 Club World Cup final.