FIFA Opens Final Phase of 2026 World Cup Ticket Sales

ZURICH, WEDNESDAY – Football fans who have not yet secured tickets to watch the 2026 World Cup live in the United States, Mexico, and Canada can breathe a sigh of relief and prepare to hunt for tickets. FIFA will reopen the sale of the fourth and final phase of tickets starting from April 1 until just before the end of the tournament.

"Last-minute ticket sales will be available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis through the official FIFA ticket sales website. Fans can select specific seats for various available matches or use the 'book best seats' feature. Seat availability may change at any time as tickets will be released gradually, including some tickets for matches on the same day," wrote a FIFA spokesperson on Wednesday (25/3/2026) on the official FIFA website.

Initially, ticket sales for FIFA were opened from October 2025 until February 22. This early ticket sales initiative was implemented to prevent the sale of unauthorized or invalid tickets due to the consistently high demand. More than one million tickets have been sold during this sales phase.

FIFA reported that the record for the highest number of spectators ever, which was 3.5 million people during the 1994 World Cup in the United States, will be surpassed at the 2026 World Cup. While the 1994 World Cup featured 52 matches, the 2026 World Cup will host 104 matches.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that the demand for tickets for this World Cup is akin to the demand for 1000 years of World Cups combined. Therefore, Infantino is confident that a record ticket sales will occur at the 2026 World Cup.

The announcement from FIFA came just a day after European football fans filed an official complaint regarding the high ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, which are considered significantly more expensive compared to previous World Cups. Tickets for the final match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, 2026, for instance, are being sold starting at a price of 4,185 US dollars (approximately 70.7 million IDR), which is seven times the price of the cheapest ticket for the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and consumer rights organization Euroconsumers filed an 18-page complaint on Tuesday (March 24, 2026) with the European Commission in Brussels.

"FIFA holds a monopoly on ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup and has used that power to impose conditions on fans that would never be acceptable in a competitive market," said FSE and Euroconsumers in a joint statement.

The complaint accused FIFA of being involved in "bait advertising," "uncontrolled" dynamic pricing, "coercive sales tactics," a lack of transparency regarding seating locations, and refund policies.

"Dynamic pricing transforms fan loyalty into a bidding war, increasing costs without added value, and alienating many supporters," said Els Bruggeman, head of policy and enforcement at Euroconsumers, to ESPN.

The accusation of bait advertising, which is illegal under European consumer law, refers to FIFA's claim in October that the prices for group stage tickets started at 60 US dollars (Rp 1.01 million). However, after fan groups across Europe complained about the lack of availability at that price, FIFA had to release more tickets at that price in December.

"Football is a universal passion, but FIFA treats it like a personal luxury by exploiting its absolute monopoly on World Cup ticket sales," said Marco Scialdone, head of litigation at Euroconsumers, as reported by The Athletic.

"We urge the European Commission to take immediate action with temporary measures to stop this exploitative practice before the 2026 tournament begins."

The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, with matches taking place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. (AP/Reuters)