Welcome Back
To the second post of our new blog series: World Cup Tickets!
Where we start getting into the nitty gritty you really want to know. Today’s post focuses on providing basic answers to the questions mentioned on our first post of this series, which you can find here if you missed it.
Let’s get started…
Where to Buy?
FIFA World Cup tickets are officially sold only on FIFA’s website. Other platforms may offer specialty tickets like hospitality or premium packages; however, it is crucial to ensure such platform(s) is recognized by FIFA to avoid scams or counterfeit tickets.
Hospitality tickets are FIFA’s equivalent to VIP tickets. These tickets offer a premium experience that includes: guaranteed access to matches, access to lounges with included food and beverage, and sometimes access to exclusive areas within the stadium. OnLocation is the official partner for FIFA Hospitality for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
When are Tickets Available?
The good news: you can already buy tickets for FIFA World Cup matches.
The bad news: get ready to reach deep into your pockets, as currently sold tickets are only available through hospitality packages, with a really steep price point.
On the other hand, as of this writing, FIFA has not officially published a General Ticket sale release date. Based on previous tournaments, FIFA usually starts General Ticket sales around the one year mark ahead of the tournament.
Rumors suggest that tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the USA, Canada, and Mexico, are expected to go on sale sometime between August and October of 2025.
How Much do Tickets Cost?
This is where FIFA shines in my opinion. Ticket prices have a set value for all matches based on the tournaments stage; i.e. group stage, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final, independently of the teams in the match. This means you would pay the same price to see an amazing clash between Messi’s Argentina and Ronaldo’s Portugal as any other match in the same tournament stage.
Categories
FIFA sets ticket prices, per stage, based on Categories ranging from: Category 1 to Category 4. Each Category represents a general area of the seating chart. These areas vary slightly from stadium to stadium, but the image below is a good representation of FIFA’s Category designation:
Hospitality Tickets
Hospitality Tickets are the white elephant of today’s post. There’s a good amount of negative campaigns on social media about exorbitant ticket prices for the FIFA World Cup 2026, but keep in mind this is because the only known pricing at this point is for Hospitality Packages.
Hospitality Tickets are typically targeted towards corporate clients, high-net-worth individuals, and passionate fans seeking an elevated and exclusive experience beyond a standard General Ticket, typically located in the Category 1 seating area… and VIP treatment always comes with an elevated price tag.
Now, with that out of the way, let’s talk about your options for Hospitality:
Individual Hospitality Tickets are not for sale yet, but rumors point to a starting price range of $1,000 – $1,500 for the group stage matches (excluding inaugural matches for each hosting nation). For reference: Hospitality ticket price for a regular group stage match during the last FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, started at $950.
Hospitality Packages pricing on the other hand, is already published and available for purchase. Here is a screenshot of different options and their starting prices:
General Tickets
Ticket prices remain unknown for the time being, but we can use historical prices and information from organizers to get an approximate idea of what costs might be for the upcoming edition of the tournament. Using pricing data from 2010-2022, and the proposed pricing from the original bid, here are our estimated price ranges for next summer’s event:
| Round | cat1 | cat2 | cat3 | cat4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | $670 – $750 | $490 – $600 | $300 – $350 | $50 – $60 |
| Group | $250 – $330 | $190 – $300 | $90 – $180 | $15 – $25 |
| Round of 32 / 16 * | $300 – $370 | $225 – $320 | $105 – $180 | $25 – $45 |
| Quarter-Finals | $460 – $550 | $320 – $420 | $220 – $270 | $60 – $80 |
| Semi-Final | $1,025 – $1,075 | $700 – $720 | $370 – $420 | $80 – $100 |
| Third Place | $550 – $700 | $350 – $550 | $220 – $340 | $50 – 60 |
| Final | $1500 – $1,700 | $1,000 – $1,100 | $630 – $700 | $120 – $200 |
* The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the first edition to have 48 teams and a Round of 32 stage. Our guess is they will be very similar to prices for Round of 16 matches.
Click here for detailed pricing charts and data
Opening Match Ticket Price
Group Stage Match Ticket Price
Round of 16 Match Ticket Price
Quarter-Finals Match Ticket Price
Semi-Finals Match Ticket Price
Third Place Match Ticket Price
Final Match Ticket Price
Remember these are simply our estimations! But make sure to come back on a regular basis to check for new info.
We update our posts as soon as official information is available.
On our next post…
We will dive into the specifics of how to purchase tickets, explain FIFA’s phase release system in detail to understand how the different phases work, list what to do to get prepared, and describe what to expect. If you are feeling lucky, we’ll provide info on alternative ways you can score some free tickets.
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