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MIAMI: FIFA has unveiled the first steps in the ticketing process for next year’s World Cup, one that will use dynamic pricing based on demand.
For now, single-game ticket prices range from as low as $60 for group stage matches to $6,710 for a spot at the World Cup final. Those prices may, and probably are likely to, change somewhat over the coming months.
Starting on Sept. 10 and running through Sept. 19, fans — who hold a Visa card and have registered for a FIFA ID, one that is easily obtained through the governing body’s website — can enter the presale draw. Those who are selected through that draw will begin receiving word on Sept. 29, and they will be able to purchase tickets starting Oct. 1. Sales will be capped at four tickets per person per match, with no person being able to purchase more than 40 for the totality of the tournament.
“I think the message is ‘Get your tickets early,’ especially if you know where you will be, because you live in that city, or you’re a fan of the three hosting nations, and then you know already when and where they will play,” said Heimo Schirgi, FIFA’s World Cup 2026 Chief Operating Officer. “So that’s the message: ‘Get your tickets early,’ because anything could happen.”
The tournament runs from June 11-July 19, 2026. So far, 13 of the 48 spots in the field have been claimed; the US, Canada and Mexico all are assured World Cup spots as the host nations, while reigning champion Argentina with Lionel Messi and perennial power Brazil are among the teams that have already secured qualification.
The host nations will play all three of their group stage matches on home soil. The US will open June 12 in Los Angeles, then play June 19 in Seattle and again June 25 back in Los Angeles. Canada will play June 12 in Toronto, then June 18 and June 24 in Vancouver. Mexico will play June 11 and June 24 in Mexico City, with a June 18 match in Guadalajara as well.
Fans can purchase tickets to follow a certain team, or purchase for a certain site. Dynamic pricing was also utilized for this year’s Club World Cup, which saw ticket prices fluctuate wildly.
“It’s key to highlight FIFA’s mission and FIFA’s objective of providing funding, providing opportunities, providing growth to our sport across all the 211 member associations,” Schirgi said. “And as part of that mission, which we take very seriously, we’re looking at optimizing the revenue, but also optimizing attendance in the stadium, right? So, it’s always a balance between different factors.”
FIFA anticipates intense demand for tickets, which means that simply having a successful draw application does not guarantee that fans will be able to purchase during the time slot.
That said, the presale draw marks only the first phase of sales. Further ticket sales will be launched in the coming months, giving all fans — including those not part of the presale draw — the chance to purchase.
A second phase is expected to have another registration window from Oct. 27-31, with purchase slots there open from mid-November to early December. A third phase will come after the final draw for the World Cup and the match schedule for group play is finalized on Dec. 5, and then fans will have another chance to buy remaining tickets on a first-come, first-served basis closer to the start of the tournament.

NYON: Soccer fans from more than 400 club supporter groups in Europe urged FIFA and UEFA on Wednesday to block requests from the Spanish and Italian leagues to play games abroad.
The Spanish football federation has approved plans for Barcelona to play Villarreal in Miami in December, and Serie A wants AC Milan to host Como in February in Perth, Australia.
Ahead of UEFA’s executive committee meeting next week in Albania, its officially recognized fan liaison group Football Supporters Europe aimed to show the scale of opposition to “out-of-territory” games — including from a fan group at Villarreal.
“We call on UEFA, FIFA, and all national associations to stand firm, play their role as regulators of the game,” the FSE group said Wednesday, with support from fan groups in 25 countries, “and ensure that football remains rooted in our communities, where it belongs.”
“Clubs are neither entertainment companies nor traveling circuses. They exist for the benefit of their communities and provide a sense of belonging, where fans have been attending home games for generations,” FSE said.
Critics of the plans, including the European Commission’s top sports official in Brussels, Glenn Micallef, say the sporting integrity of leagues also would be unbalanced and damaged.
Allowing the Barcelona or AC Milan games to move would “instantly open a Pandora’s box with unpredictable and irreversible consequences,” the fan groups warned.
Fresh proposals to move domestic leagues abroad were inevitable once FIFA withdrew from a court case last year in New York brought by promotions agency Relevent.
Relevent was co-founded by Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins, whose Hard Rock Stadium is set to stage the Villarreal-Barcelona game which the clubs hope will help build their fan bases and brands globally.
Barcelona has been struggling financially for several years and Miami also is where its iconic former star Lionel Messi currently plays, for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
Relevent also is now one of UEFA’s most significant commercial partners, sealing a deal this year to sell broadcast and sponsor rights for six years of the Champions League and other European club competitions starting in 2027.
UEFA’s ruling committee meets Sept. 11 in Tirana, chaired by its president Aleksander Ceferin. He suggested last week UEFA must talk with FIFA and currently has limited legal power to stop overseas games if the national federations involved agree to them.