Ticket applications for the 2026 FIFA World Cup surpassed 1.5 million within the first 24 hours of registration, according to FIFA. Fans from 210 countries submitted entries during the opening day of the initial ticketing phase.
The response highlighted the global enthusiasm for the expanded 48-team tournament, which will be hosted across Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The greatest demand came from the three host nations, with additional strong interest from Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, England, Spain, Portugal, and Germany. Argentina led demand outside the host countries, FIFA said.
Fans were able to register through the Visa Pre-Sale Draw – a lottery-style system offering a chance to buy tickets in the first sales phase for what will be the largest World Cup in history. The timing of applications did not affect the odds in the draw, and no payment was required to register. Entrants had to be at least 18 years old, and registration was restricted to Visa cardholders, as Visa is FIFA’s official payment services partner.
Email notifications to selected fans were scheduled to begin on September 29, with exclusive ticket-purchase windows opening on October 1. About 1 million tickets were made available during this stage. Selected applicants were assigned purchasing windows running through October 21.
Ticket options included individual match tickets, team-specific packages and venue-based series covering all 104 matches. Dynamic pricing was used during this phase. In the US, prices for group-stage matches began at $60. Tickets were divided into four categories, with Category 1 representing the most expensive seats in the lower bowl. The most expensive ticket – for the final – was priced at $6,730.
Fans could buy up to four tickets per match for a maximum of 10 matches, or 40 tickets total.
“The large number of registrations submitted is a testament to the enormous enthusiasm generated worldwide by the FIFA World Cup 26 and how it will become a turning point in the history of football,” said Heimo Schirgi, director of operations for the 2026 tournament, in comments published by USA Today.
Scale of the competition
The competition will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities and is expected to draw six million spectators overall.
FIFA urged fans to purchase tickets only through FIFA.com/tickets, warning that tickets obtained through unauthorized sellers may be invalid. Hospitality packages were available via FIFA.com/hospitality, and FIFA said it would launch an official resale platform to curb fraud and protect buyers.
From October 1, fans can select individual tickets for all matches in the first phase, with time slots assigned for purchases. A second registration period was planned from October 27 to 31, with a third sales phase expected after the group draw on December 5 in Washington. Following the draw, fans will be able to apply for tickets to specific matchups.
FIFA noted that applying did not guarantee access to tickets. Further information on ticket options and schedules is available at FIFA.com/tickets.
Reuters contributed to this report.