Football governing body says ticket sales for tournament in North America will be released in phases, with the process kicking off on September 10.
FIFA has announced that the process to purchase tickets for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico, the United States, and Canada will launch on September 10, urging fans looking to attend games to formally register their interest on its website.
The announcement on Monday came a day after the FIFA Club World Cup concluded in the US, a tournament that the international governing body for football hailed as a “rousing success”.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming the world back to North America, as Canada, Mexico and the United States host what will be the biggest and greatest sporting event ever,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
“We encourage fans everywhere to get ready to secure their place – these will be the most coveted seats in world sport.”
FIFA did not provide details for how the tickets will be released, but it said on September 10, pre-registered fans will be able to “apply for their first chance to buy tickets”.
“There will be several distinct ticket sales phases from the start of sales on 10 September 2025, through to the final match on Sunday, 19 July 2026,” FIFA said.
“Each phase may differ in purchasing processes, payment methods and ticket products, and full details on each phase will be released in the coming months.”
The World Cup will kick off in Mexico City on June 11 next year and conclude in New Jersey on July 19.
With the tournament expanded to 48 teams, it will see 104 games, with Canada and Mexico hosting 13 matches each.
The rest of the games will take place in the US, including all the fixtures from the quarterfinal onwards.
The US had a de facto test run for the big tournament with the Club World Cup that kicked off last month, with mixed results.
While the final at MetLife Stadium, which saw Premier League giants Chelsea beat European champions Paris Saint-Germain 3-0, attracted a sold-out crowd of over 81,000 people, some games saw an abysmally low turnout.
The searing hot weather also proved to be a challenge for players and fans, especially during midday games. However, many matches drew large crowds and a festive atmosphere, as well as some notable footballing upsets.
US President Donald Trump appeared to take a strong interest in the tournament. He hosted Italian club Juventus at the White House when the team was in Washington, DC, for a group stage game last month.
He attended the final in New Jersey and joined Chelsea players on stage for the trophy presentation.
However, Trump’s restrictive immigration policies have sparked concerns about the ability of international fans to visit the US next year.
In June, the US president imposed travel bans and restrictions on citizens of 19 countries, including Iran, whose national team has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
While football is known as the world’s game, the sport has been behind American football, baseball and basketball in popularity in the US. Still, football has been steadily gaining interest in the country over the past decade, a trend accelerated by Argentinian great Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami in 2023.
Qatar hosted the last World Cup in 2022, with Argentina lifting the trophy for the third time in their history, cementing the status of Messi as one of the greatest players of all time.