Tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup officially open to fans selected in last month’s lottery—4.5 million people applied for first-chance purchase windows. FIFA says lottery winners have been or will be notified by email. While fewer than half the teams are qualified and the match schedule won’t be finalized until the Dec. 5 draw, demand is already surging. FIFA president Gianni Infantino hailed the numbers as proof that “the whole world wants to be part of the FIFA World Cup 26,” even as key details like venues for specific teams remain unknown until December.
Seats are divided into four categories (Category 1 closest to the action; Category 4 higher tiers). Initial face values range from $60 for group matches to $6,730 for the final—and can change under dynamic pricing. Beyond face-value sales, American Airlines AAdvantage members can redeem miles for tickets starting Oct. 13–15 by elite tier, and Verizon—an event sponsor—will begin dropping free ticket opportunities to customers in its app, a promotion fronted by David Beckham.
Hosts (U.S., Mexico, Canada) are already in, alongside teams such as Argentina, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Uruguay, Morocco and others; 30 berths remain. Fans from 216 countries and territories entered the first ticket lottery, with the most interest from the U.S., Mexico and Canada, followed by Germany, England, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Spain and Italy. FIFA hasn’t disclosed how many tickets are in this window; roughly 7.1 million seats exist across 104 matches at 16 venues, though not all seats will be for public sale. The U.S. visa process and political dynamics could influence travel, and President Donald Trump has suggested host-city changes are possible. Next up: an “early ticket draw” likely Oct. 27–31 (buying timeslots mid-Nov to early Dec), then a random-selection draw after Dec. 5, plus later first-come sales and an official resale platform. The tournament runs June 11–July 19.
Original article: Read it on KAAL-TV (AP)
