2026 FIFA World Cup: Final Ticket Sales Phase Announced

FIFA has unveiled the dates for the ultimate phase of ticket sales for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This "last-minute" opportunity will commence on Wednesday, April 1st, operating strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.

The fourth and final phase of ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled to take place from June 11th to July 19th, is set to begin on April 1st. FIFA made this announcement on Wednesday, though without specifying the exact number of tickets to be released in this batch. This crucial sales window will open at 5 PM CET on the official website, FIFA.com/tickets. Tickets will be distributed "on a first-come, first-served basis" and will continue to be sold until the tournament concludes on July 19th, the global football governing body confirmed in a statement.

Millions of Tickets Available

FIFA stated that tickets would be "made available progressively, including, on occasion, for matches taking place on the same day." During the previous random selection sales phase in January and February, over one million tickets were sold, stemming from more than 500 million applications received, according to FIFA. In total, approximately seven million tickets are projected to be sold for the entire tournament, taking into account the capacities of the 16 host stadiums across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The entire ticketing process has, however, ignited significant controversy. FIFA has faced accusations of setting exorbitant prices for tickets, allegedly disregarding initial promises made during the bidding process by the three host nations. The European Supporters Organisation (FSE) announced on Tuesday that it had filed a formal complaint against FIFA with the European Commission, urging the body to abandon what it described as "opaque and unfair" purchasing procedures.

In collaboration with Euroconsumers, an organization representing consumers across the continent, the FSE "filed an official complaint with the European Commission against FIFA" for "abusing its monopoly position," the association stated. FIFA, through its president Gianni Infantino, defended the ticket prices, attributing them to "crazy demand." While FIFA did introduce a category of $60 tickets in December specifically for official supporter clubs, the FSE claims that this quota was largely depleted before sales even opened to the general public. Furthermore, FIFA will reopen its official ticket resale and exchange platform on April 2nd. This platform has also drawn criticism for the equally prohibitive prices of tickets listed for resale. FIFA explained that it does not intervene in this "fan-to-fan market," where the individual reseller "determines the displayed price of each ticket."