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FIFA Opens 2026 World Cup Ticket Ballot as Prices and Resale Rules Draw Fan Outcry

FIFA set fixed prices for this sales phase after proposing dynamic pricing.

Overview

  • Applications for the Random Selection Draw run from Dec. 11 to Jan. 13, with winners notified in February and credit cards automatically charged for any tickets allocated.
  • FIFA confirms face-value ranges from about $60 for some group games to $6,730 for top seats at the final, and says ringfenced allocations in this phase are fixed-price, while national associations report PMA tickets far above Qatar 2022 levels.
  • Secondary listings show steep get-in costs, including just over $3,900 for the June 11 opener in Mexico City, with Mexico matches averaging more than $2,600 and U.S. and Canada fixtures around $1,100, according to StubHub data reported by NBC.
  • Analyses find hotel rates around host cities have surged by hundreds of percent, including a Mexico City room jumping from $157 to $3,882 and large spikes in U.S. markets such as Houston, Kansas City and Atlanta.
  • Fan groups are urging a pause and review of pricing as FIFA readies an official resale marketplace allowing above-face-value resales in the U.S. and Canada with a 30% fee, and the U.S. government introduces a FIFA PASS system to prioritize visa interviews.