October 28 – FIFA has launched the second sales phase of World Cup tickets, with another one million tickets up for sale.
The new sales phase, which runs until Friday (October 31), includes a domestic exclusivity time slot for residents of the three host countries of the 2026 World Cup, the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Once the domestic exclusivity time slot ends, more fans will be eligible to obtain a buying slot starting on November 17.
“We already have seen massive interest from around the world for this tournament, and especially from within the host countries as Canada, Mexico and the United States prepare to host the biggest FIFA World Cup yet,” said Heimo Schirgi, the tournament’s chief operating officer.
“This second phase, with its host country domestic exclusivity time slot, will allow us to say ‘thank you’ to these local fans, while ensuring global opportunity as well.”
The first sales phase – a Visa Presale Draw for qualifying Visa cardholders – drew worldwide interest with more than 4.5 million applicants. Even so, residents of the host countries bought more tickets than any other nation.
FIFA has received heavy criticism for setting sky-high ticket prices and applying dynamic ticketing, a strategy where prices shift based on demand. The model was previously tested at the Club World Cup and means that ticket prices can climb as sales progress.
World Cup ticket prices range from $60 in the group stages to $6,730 for the final, but the first sales phase revealed that the inventory of category four tickets in the group stages at $60 is very limited. On top of that, RTB (right to buy tickets) holders were mostly forced to purchase category one and category two tickets.
FIFA expects to sell more than 6.5 million tickets for the tournament and generate $3 billion from ticket sales, including from the hospitality segment. The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest yet to date, with 48 finalists.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, [email protected]