Final ticket sales phase begins for FIFA World Cup

TDT | Manama

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FIFA has launched the final ticket sales phase for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, with more than three million tickets available for matches scheduled between June 11 and July 19 across United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The “last-minute” sales window opened at 1500 GMT via FIFA’s official ticketing platform, with tickets being sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Sales will remain open until the end of the tournament, with additional tickets expected to be released in phases—including, at times, on the same day as scheduled matches.

Due to high demand, fans attempting to purchase tickets were placed in a virtual queue system, where waiting times could extend for several hours. Access to the sales portal is managed through a timed entry system, requiring users to join within a limited window once prompted.

In total, nearly seven million tickets are being made available for the tournament, reflecting the combined capacity of 16 host stadiums. FIFA confirmed that over three million tickets have already been sold during earlier sales phases, including more than one million allocated through a random draw held earlier this year, which attracted approximately 500 million applications.

With demand continuing to surge, FIFA is expected to surpass the all-time World Cup ticket sales record of 3.5 million, set during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

The expanded 2026 edition will feature 48 teams competing across 104 matches, with the majority—78 games—taking place in the United States.

However, ticketing policies have drawn criticism. Groups such as Football Supporters Europe and Euroconsumers have filed a complaint with the European Commission, accusing FIFA of unfair practices and excessive pricing.

The organizations allege that FIFA has abused its dominant market position and implemented opaque ticketing procedures. In response, FIFA has defended its pricing strategy, with its president Gianni Infantino citing exceptionally high demand as the primary driver.

In December, FIFA introduced a limited $60 ticket category reserved for official supporters’ clubs. However, critics claim that these tickets were nearly sold out before becoming widely available to the public.

FIFA is also set to relaunch its official ticket resale platform, allowing fans to exchange or sell tickets. The platform has faced further scrutiny over high resale prices. FIFA maintains that it does not regulate prices in this “fan-to-fan” marketplace in the United States and Canada, where sellers determine their own rates.

In contrast, regulations in Mexico prohibit reselling tickets above their original purchase price, highlighting differing legal frameworks across the host nations.