FIFA: 2M Tickets Sold For ’26 Men’s World Cup, But International Issues Remain

By Barry Janoff

UPDATED Dec. 1, 2025: FIFA will unveil the updated match schedule for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in a live global broadcast on Dec. 6 (Noon ET), from Washington, DC. The unveiling will take place 24 hours after the world learns of the 12 unprecedented groups of four at the tournament's highly anticipated Final Draw.

It will be unveiled by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who will be joined on stage by FIFA Legends, and in the audience by representatives of all 42 qualified teams as well as those still in contention. 

November 28, 2025: With the next major event in the 2026 Men’s World Cup approaching, FIFA said “high demand continues” with nearly two million tickets sold across the first two phases of sales.

But FIFA shared the news with a warning: Given the state of affairs in North America, “a match ticket does not guarantee admission to a host country, and fans should visit each host country’s government website today for entry requirements for Canada, Mexico and the United States.”

Issues have already begun.

According to AP Sports, “Iran has decided to boycott the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington next week because the U.S. denied visas to members of its delegation, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

“The agency quoted Iranian soccer federation spokesman Amir-Mahdi Alavi as saying that officials faced visa obstacles that go beyond sports considerations.

“President Donald Trump’s administration announced in June a travel ban on citizens from 12 countries including Iran.”

The next phase of ticket sales for the FIFA World Cup 2026  —  the Random Selection Draw — is scheduled to begin Dec. 11, with the entry period open until Jan. 13. 

Before that, the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is scheduled for Dec. 5 in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC (Telemundo, Peacock Noon ET).

The match schedule will be revealed shortly thereafter.

During the two initial ticket sales phases, residents of the three host countries — the United States, Canada and Mexico, in that order — drove the most purchases.

They were followed by England, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Argentina and France. People in 212 countries and territories have already secured their tickets.

“Congratulations to everyone who has already booked their seats and for those who haven’t, a new opportunity begins on Thursday, 11 December, just days after the Final Draw in Washington DC," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said via the organization.

With the next phase of ticket purchase coming after the office draw, people will for the first time will be able to select which match(es), respective ticket category(ies) and number of tickets per match they would like to purchase, subject to household restrictions.

According to FIFA, "All successful and partially successful ticket applicants will receive communications via e-mail and subsequently will be automatically charged for their tickets in February. A partially successful application indicates that a fan will receive the number of tickets requested to a match, but not all matches requested."

Given the processing times involved, FIFA recommends for International travelers submitting visa applications as early as possible. FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket holders traveling to the United States are eligible for the recently announced FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (FIFA PASS).

People are encouraged to visit FIFA.com/tickets for FAQs and all published legal documents applicable to the purchase and use of FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets.

“This will be the greatest and most inclusive FIFA World Cup in history — and the FIFA PASS service is a very concrete example of that,” said Infantino “The United States is set to welcome fans from around the world on an unprecedented scale.”

According to FIFA, "Closer to the tournament, fans may be able to buy any remaining ticket inventory on a first-come, first-served basis (subject to availability).As always, FIFA encourages fans to purchase tickets only through FIFA.com/tickets, the official and preferred source of tickets for the FIFA World Cup. Hospitality packages and tickets sourced from unofficial sales channels may not be valid.

"Ticket applications are subject to applicable terms, which will be available prior to the application period at FIFA.com/tickets. No purchase is necessary to enter the draw. If successful, the payment card will be automatically charged. People must be 18 years old or older to apply."

“With 42 teams already qualified, we are witnessing huge global interest as we prepare to soon find out most of the match-ups, as well as where and when they will take place,” Heimo Schirgi, COO for FIFA World Cup 2026 said via the organization 

“With the much-awaited opening match in Mexico City kicking off in fewer than 200 days, we are ready and excited to welcome fans to North America next year for the biggest FIFA World Cup yet.”

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