The main ticket ballot for World Cup 2026 opened in North America on Thursday, opening the first opportunity for fans to secure tickets since the draw was made and the full match schedule announced last week, reports BBC.
From an earlier phase, the price of tickets ranged from £45 to £5,915. From 16:00 GMT on Thursday, fans could apply for tickets on Fifa's website, external for the matches of their choice.
Each household can request up to four tickets per match and a maximum of 40 across the tournament.
The application window runs until January 13, 2026. There is no advantage to applying early - all fixtures remain available throughout the entire period.
Once the window closes, Fifa will run a lottery to decide which applications are successful.
Fans will be notified by email in February and, if they have been allocated tickets, will be charged automatically.
Fifa has promoted Category 4 tickets as "an accessible entry point to the tournament".
But their stadium maps suggest the amount of Category 4 seating is extremely limited.
In most venues, the bulk of the seating appears to fall into the more expensive Category 1 and 2 sections.
Each participating nation receives 8 per cent of the tickets for its matches to distribute to its own supporters.
Fifa has created its own official platform where fans can resell tickets bought through other phases of the ticketing process.
Sellers can list at whatever price they choose, and Fifa takes a 15 per cent fee from both the seller and the buyer.
Closer to the tournament, any remaining ticket inventory will be released on a first-come, first-served basis, operating much like a standard online ticket sale.
VISA
"Your ticket is not a visa," said United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month.
Indeed, simply being a ticket holder does not guarantee entry to any of the host countries, Canada, Mexico or the US.
Fans planning to travel to the US should apply for either the Visa Waiver Programme (commonly known as an ESTA) or a Visitor Visa (B1/B2), external depending on their nationality. UK citizens are normally eligible for an ESTA.
Canada requires most visitors to obtain a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), external, while Mexico offers visa-free entry to many nationalities, external, including UK travellers.
US embassies are giving priority appointments to World Cup ticket holders but are still encouraging fans to apply as soon as possible.
