FIFA releases new batch of 2026 World Cup tickets

FIFA released an additional batch of World Cup tickets on Thursday, just 14 days before the global football tournament kicks off in North America.

“Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last,” an official post on social media said.

FIFA, football’s governing body, had said in April that tickets would be regularly offered for sale via its official website until the final on July 19.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said more than five million tickets have been sold, out of around seven million expected to become available.

The previous ticket sales record for a World Cup was 3.5 million, set in 1994, when the tournament was last held in the United States.

This time, the US will share hosting duties with Canada and Mexico.

The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest ever, with an extensive format of 48 teams and 104 matches.

But the ticketing process and prices have sparked controversy, with FIFA accused of charging fans exorbitant amounts to follow their teams.

New York and New Jersey this week announced a “thorough investigation” into FIFA’s ticketing practices, with prosecutors describing the process as a “gauntlet of confusion, false scarcity and impossibly high prices.”

California said earlier this month it had contacted FIFA about possible legal violations in the sale of World Cup tickets, following allegations that some fans had purchased seats in categories that were later changed.

Fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has labeled the World Cup pricing structure as ‘excessive’ and ‘monumental betrayal’.

Infantino has defended World Cup ticket prices, saying they are determined by high demand and are appropriate for the US, where the bulk of the matches take place.

Published on May 29, 2026