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FIFA Opens First 2026 World Cup Ticket Sales to Lottery Winners

A lottery-led rollout starts despite an undecided schedule plus visa questions.

Overview

  • About 4.5 million applicants entered the initial lottery, and selected fans are being notified by email for the first purchase window that opened Wednesday.
  • FIFA lists four seat categories with initial prices from roughly $60 for group-stage matches to $6,730 for the final, using dynamic pricing for the first time and planning an official resale platform.
  • The final draw on Dec. 5 will set matchups and the full schedule, with the United States, Canada and Mexico already qualified as hosts and roughly 30 berths still open.
  • Additional phases include an early ticket draw expected Oct. 27–31 with purchase timeslots from mid-November to early December, followed by a random selection phase after the final draw and later first‑come, first‑served rounds.
  • The U.S. State Department urges travelers who need visas to apply now, while political statements about host‑city safety add uncertainty, and secondary marketplaces list tickets that may be above face value and not FIFA‑authenticated.