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Four months stand between us and the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Many, and we mean many, of us still do not yet have tickets to any matches. That’s because there’s a really good chance you were one of the hundreds of thousands, and maybe even millions, who have received bad news in your email inbox over the past few days.
“Thank you for applying for FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket(s) during the Random Selection Draw,” the email from FIFA began. “Unfortunately, your application was not successful, and no tickets have been allocated for purchase. Please be assured that you will not be charged and that no payments will be processed.”
We’re not surprised by this, of course. FIFA recently announced that more than 500 million ticket requests were submitted during the random selection draw, which ran for 33 days in December and January. On top of that, it’s not a stretch to think that a lopsided amount of those requests went toward matches at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Not only will North Texas host nine World Cup matches, more than any other North American host city, but global soccer powers England and Argentina are among the national teams that are scheduled to play in Jerryworld. Although all-time great Lionel Messi has yet to confirm he will take part in this year’s tournament, you can bet untold scores of people opted to take their chances and request tickets to one of the two matches the defending World Cup champions will play in Arlington.
To say that nabbing World Cup tickets has been a convoluted affair is to put it mildly. This isn’t the first year that FIFA has used a lottery system for tickets, but the global soccer governing body has reported “unprecedented demand” for 2026 World Cup tickets, which means that getting tickets directly through FIFA before they hit the secondary markets was always going to be tough sledding.
Complaints About Pricing
Many readers may feel we’re burying the lede here, however. Headlines and complaints regarding ticket prices have arguably been the most prominent World Cup storyline thus far, aside from perhaps the draw and schedule announcements. When we took our shot in the random selection draw, tickets ranged from around $200 to over $700 for the AT&T Stadium group stage matches.
In response to complaints about pricing from around the world, FIFA did allocate a limited number of $60 tickets to every match, although those tickets will be allocated to and distributed by national federations like CONCACAF (North America, the Caribbean) and UEFA (Europe), instead of being sold to the public at large.
If you’re one of the many who have just accepted that you’ll go without spending any money on the next couple of summer vacations and Christmases, that random draw email had some rays of hope under the bad news. There will still be ways to get verified World Cup tickets directly from FIFA.
But I Want World Cup Tickets Now!
Fans can get in on the “last-minute sales phase” for tickets by registering now. According to FIFA, this phase will begin in April and, unlike recent phases, will be first-come, first-served, although tickets available in this phase are likely to be extremely limited.
If lotteries, phases, waiting and hoping are all too much for you, there is a way to get World Cup tickets in your hands right now. Secondary market ticket-selling websites like SeatGeek now offer many options, including tickets to the June 17 England vs. Croatia match at AT&T Stadium starting around $950. But buyer beware: although your money may be guaranteed by the seller or your credit card company, counterfeit World Cup tickets have a long, troublesome history.
FIFA, as one might guess, has its own resale marketplace for verified tickets. Having the security of not only possessing tickets now but knowing they’re the real deal will cost you, however. For that same June 17 match, the cheapest ticket available through FIFA’s resale/exchange market is $1,045 before fees.
