2026 World Cup: 4.5 Million Ticket Requests in Presale

More than 4.5 million people, mostly from the United States, requested tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the first pre-sale draw, FIFA reported in an official statement on Friday. Mexico and Canada, the other two host nations of the tournament, were the next countries with the most applicants in the ticket draw. FIFA did not disclose the totals by country.

Those selected to purchase tickets in this sales window, which ran from September 9 to 19, will be notified from September 29 and will receive a schedule to make the purchase from October 1.

These are not just outstanding figures, but also a resounding statement. Everyone wants to be part of the FIFA World Cup 26: the biggest, most inclusive, and most exciting event ever seen. From Canada, Mexico, and the United States to large and small countries from all continents, fans are demonstrating once again that the passion for football truly unites, as they look forward to attending the matches in the three host nations.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA President

While tickets for all 104 matches are being put on sale, receiving a schedule does not guarantee ticket availability. Sales will be limited to four tickets per person per match, and no person may purchase more than 40 for the entire tournament. A second phase, called the early ticket draw, will begin on October 27, with purchase times from mid-November to early December. A third phase, called random selection draw, will begin after the final draw which will take place on December 5 in Washington, D.C., to determine the World Cup schedule. FIFA indicated that tickets will be available closer to the tournament “on a first-come, first-served basis”. FIFA also announced that it will launch an official resale platform on October 2. The 2026 World Cup will be played in 16 cities across North America. Eight matches, including the final, will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a short train ride from New York City. The ticket prices for the next FIFA World Cup will initially range from $60 for the group stage matches to $6,730 for the final, but could change as the most important sporting event adopts dynamic pricing for the first time. Prices have increased from a range of $25 to $475 for the 1994 tournament in the United States and the equivalent in US dollars of $69 to $1,607 when the ticket details for the 2022 tournament in Qatar were announced. Dynamic pricing was also used for this year’s FIFA Club World Cup, when tickets were reduced from $473.90 to $13.40 for the semi-final between Chelsea and Fluminense at the MetLife Stadium. Germany, England, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, and Italy completed the top 10 countries that joined this waiting list for presale tickets. Fans from 216 countries and territories entered requests in the ticket draw, FIFA reported.