Tickets to the 2026 World Cup technically went “on sale” Wednesday morning, but fans can’t actually buy them just yet. Instead, FIFA opened the first phase of its ticket process with a presale lottery for Visa cardholders.
The process works like this: between Sept. 10 and Sept. 19, fans with a FIFA account and a Visa card can register for the Visa Presale Draw, which FIFA is calling a “randomised selection process”. It’s essentially a lottery. If your name is drawn, you’ll be notified around Sept. 29 and assigned a purchase time slot starting Oct. 1. That’s when actual ticket buying begins. Lottery winners will be limited to four tickets per match — regardless of demand or availability — and 40 tickets total across the entire tournament.
This presale covers every host city across the United States, Mexico and Canada. It’s the first step in what will be a year-long, multi-phase rollout for the biggest World Cup in history.
And for the first time, FIFA is using dynamic pricing, meaning ticket costs will fluctuate with demand. Starting prices are set at $60 for group stage matches, while the most premium seats for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey could reach $6,730.
If you don’t “win the lottery” this time around, there will be other chances to land tickets. A second draw will take place later this fall, followed by another phase after the World Cup draw in December, when fans will finally know which teams are playing where. The final opportunity will be a first-come, first-served sale closer to the tournament’s kickoff in June 2026.
The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest tournament FIFA has ever staged, with 48 teams and 104 matches across three countries. Demand for tickets is expected to be massive, especially for games featuring the U.S., Mexico and Canada, as well as reigning champion Argentina, and five-time champion Brazil.
So while tickets don’t truly go on sale Wednesday, the road to getting into a World Cup match has officially begun. For now, fans just have to enter the lottery and hope their name gets called.
Teams that have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup
Canada (host)
Mexico (host)
United States (host)
Argentina (South America)
Brazil (South America)
Ecuador (South America)
Uruguay (South America)
Colombia (South America)
Paraguay (South America)
Morocco (Africa)
Tunisia (Africa)
Japan (Asia)
Iran (Asia)
Uzbekistan (Asia)
South Korea (Asia)
Jordan (Asia)
Australia (Asia)
New Zealand (Oceania)
2026 World Cup schedule by city
Atlanta — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (8): 5 group stage, 1 Round of 32, 1 Round of 16, 1 semifinal
Boston — Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. (7): 5 group stage, 1 Round of 32, 1 quarterfinal
Dallas — AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex. (9): 5 group stage, 2 Round of 32, 1 Round of 16, 1 semifinal
Houston — NRG Stadium (7): 5 group stage, 1 Round of 32, 1 Round of 16
Kansas City — Arrowhead Stadium (6): 4 group stage, 1 Round of 32, 1 quarterfinal
Los Angeles — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. (8): 5 group stage, 2 Round of 32, 1 quarterfinal
Miami — Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (7): 4 group stage, 1 Round of 32, 1 quarterfinal, third-place match
New York — MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (8): 5 group stage, 1 Round of 32, 1 Round of 16, final
Philadelphia — Lincoln Financial Field (6): 5 group stage, 1 Round of 16
San Francisco — Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (6): 5 group stage, 1 Round of 32
Seattle — Lumen Field (6): 4 group stage, 1 Round of 32, 1 Round of 16
Toronto — BMO Field (6): 5 group stage, 1 Round of 32
Vancouver — BC Place (7): 5 group stage, 1 Round of 32, 1 Round of 16
Guadalajara — Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Mexico (4): 4 group stage
Mexico City — Estadio Azteca (5): 3 group stage, 1 Round of 32, 1 Round of 16
Monterrey — Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, Mexico (4): 3 group stage, 1 Round of 32
