Looking to buy tickets to FIFA World Cup 2026? Here’s everything you need to know about the first wave of ticket sales.

The presale draw is the first of four phases for ticket buying for the World Cup – set for June 11 to July 19, 2026.

The "Visa Presale Draw" begins Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. ET and will end on Sept. 19 at 11 a.m. ET, allowing fans worldwide (who are Visa cardholders) to register to buy World Cup tickets.

FIFA says the draw will be randomized, and eligibility will be established with a no-value transaction. Fans can go to FIFA.com/tickets to sign up.

On Sept. 29, applicants will be notified if their application was successful.

From Oct. 1 to Oct. 21, ticket buyers will be issued a dedicated date and time slot to purchase their World Cup tickets.

Ticket buyers will be issued a ticket in a category seating range, based on the 16 different World Cup venues across the three countries. Specific seats will be assigned later.

After the presale, FIFA says multiple additional ticket phases will launch in the coming months.

“Get your tickets early, especially if you know where you’ll be because you live in that city or you’re a fan of the three hosting nations. You know already when and where they’ll play. Get your tickets early, because anything can happen,” FIFA World Cup 26 chief operating officer Heimo Schirgi said during a Sept. 2 media briefing.

While the World Cup match schedule is already set, the matchups not featuring host nations will be determined following the FIFA World Cup draw on Dec. 5.

The United States (Group D) will play group stage matches in Los Angeles on June 12, 2026, in Seattle on June 19, 2026, and Los Angeles again on June 25, 2026.

Mexico (Group A) will play in the World Cup opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, 2026. They will also play on June 18 in Guadalajara and June 24 in Mexico City.

Canada (Group B) will play group stage matches in Toronto on June 12, 2026, and Vancouver on June 18, 2026 and June 24, 2026.

The World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.

Here’s everything you need to know about the FIFA World Cup presale draw

What do fans need to participate in the Visa Presale Draw?

Prospective World Cup ticket buyers need to sign up for a FIFA account, and have a Visa payment card. After Oct. 21, fans will be able to buy World Cup tickets with other payment methods.

How many tickets will be available during the presale draw?

FIFA will have approximately 1 million tickets for sale during the Visa Presale Draw phase.

What is the cheapest and most expensive World Cup ticket going to cost?

FIFA says the lowest price ticket for group stage matches will be $60 USD, while the most expensive ticket price for the World Cup final will be set at $6,730 through each ticket purchasing phase. However, dyanmic pricing could affect how much those prices could fluctuate based on demand.

What kind of World Cup tickets will fans be able to purchase?

Fans will be able to purchase three different types of tickets:

  • Single match tickets: Tickets for a specific match at any venue.
  • Venue specific tickets: A package that includes several matches at the same venue.
  • Team specific tickets: A package that includes three group-stage matches of each team in the tournament. This includes qualified and non-qualified teams. If you purchase tickets for a country that does not qualify, you will be refunded.

What you need to know about World Cup ticket categories:

There are four categories of World Cup tickets available to purchase, reflective of the level seating areas in World Cup venues. FIFA will provide maps of each stadium venue, explaining the ticket categories.

  • Category 1: Level 100, closest to the pitch.
  • Category 2: Level 200.
  • Category 3 and Category 4: Level 300 or higher.

How many World Cup tickets can you buy?

FIFA says a ticket buyer can purchase up to four tickets per match, for up to 10 matches, 40 tickets in total.

Where can you buy resale World Cup tickets?

FIFA will also launch its own resale platform for ticket holders to safeguard fans against invalid or unauthorized resale tickets. Note: Ticket resellers outside of Mexico will be able to set their own resale prices.

“We are not capping the FIFA resale platform in terms of ticket prices. Obviously, people would go to other resale platforms and would try to find other ways of reselling the ticket, which obviously is something we don’t want,” Schirgi said.

“We want to keep a safe and secure, and regulated environment for fans to be able to resell their tickets, also ensuring that from a technical point of view, that the resale ticket actually works when you come to the gate.”

Important notes for World Cup ticket buyers in Mexico:

  • World Cup ticket buyers in Mexico will be able to purchase on a separate platform through FIFA.com/tickets.
  • Ticket resellers in Mexico will only be able to resell tickets at face value, due to government regulations.
  • Tickets for the World Cup opener on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will be available during the Visa Presale draw phase.

When is the next World Cup ticket sales draw after presale draw?

The next ticket sales draw following the Visa Presale draw will be in November. FIFA is in discussion with the three host nations to see “if and how” they can give domestic customers priority to buy tickets in their home countries.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When do World Cup tickets go on sale? How to sign up for presale draw

Reporting by Safid Deen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect