World Cup ticket ballot set to open – here’s all you need to know

The primary ticket lottery for next summer’s World Cup in North America begins on Thursday.

This marks the first chance for supporters to obtain tickets since the draw was conducted and the complete match schedule was published last week.

Fifa’s pricing strategy has faced criticism, with Football Supporters Europe alerting to «record high prices» and «significant financial burdens» for fans following their teams.

From a previous phase, ticket prices varied from £45 to £5,915.

So, what do we understand about the tournament’s contentious ticket distribution system – and how can you acquire tickets?

Starting at 16:00 GMT on Thursday, fans will be able to apply for tickets on Fifa’s website for their preferred matches.

Each household may request up to four tickets per match, with a cap of 40 tickets for the entire tournament.

The application period will last until 13 January 2026. There is no benefit to applying early – all matches will remain accessible throughout the duration.

When the period concludes, Fifa will conduct a lottery to determine which applications succeed.

Fans will receive notifications via email in February and, if awarded tickets, will be charged automatically.

Dynamic pricing – referred to as «variable pricing» by Fifa – will be implemented during certain phases of the World Cup ticket sales.

Nevertheless, the organization has assured that it will not be used during the main lottery. The price displayed at the beginning of the application period will remain constant until the end.

Prices will still be determined by the anticipated demand for each match, with higher-profile contests expected to extract more cost.

Currently, Fifa has not released any official pricing lists. It is anticipated that potential ticket buyers will learn about ticket prices when the application window opens on Thursday.

At this moment, the most reliable information we have comes from supporters who monitored prices in earlier sales phases.

Fifa has touted Category 4 tickets as «an affordable entry point to the tournament».

However, the seating charts suggest that the availability of Category 4 seats is very limited, and Football Supporters Europe indicated that «their mere existence is still a matter of concern».

In most venues, the majority of seating seems to belong to the higher-priced Category 1 and 2 sections.

Each nation participating receives 8% of the tickets for their matches to distribute among its supporters.

For England and Scotland, these tickets will be available to members of the England Supporters Travel Club and the Scotland Supporters Club. Both organizations will send out an email with an access code for a Fifa portal, allowing applications from 15 December to 13 January.

These tickets are allocated through a lottery system favoring members with the most loyalty points.

Pricing is expected to align with the main lottery, but tickets from FA allocations are not transferable.

Allocations for teams advancing through the play-offs are predicted to become available after those matches conclude in March.

Fifa has established its own official platform for fans to resell tickets purchased from other phases of the ticketing process.

Sellers can list tickets at any price they desire, while Fifa imposes a 15% fee on both sellers and buyers.

Fifa claims these fees are «aligned with industry norms across various North American sports» and assures all profits will be «reinvested to promote the growth of the sport».

It has also cautioned supporters against using unofficial resale platforms, indicating that tickets bought through those channels «may be subject to cancellation without prior notice».

Currently, on the unofficial secondary market, tickets for England and Scotland’s group matches are already priced above £450.

Supporters seeking guaranteed tickets – without worrying about costs – can opt for official hospitality packages.

These typically cost several thousand pounds and include premium seating, access to lounges, and high-end dining experiences.

The most exclusive option is Platinum Access. Pricing for this category is specified only upon request, and details are limited, although advertising materials include images of private jets.

As the tournament approaches, any leftover ticket inventory will be released based on a first-come, first-served approach, functioning similarly to a conventional online ticket sale.

This phase is anticipated to employ dynamic or variable pricing, but unlike other sectors, Fifa will adjust prices manually based on demand rather than relying on an algorithm.

«Holding a ticket does not equate to having a visa,» stated United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month.

Indeed, merely possessing a ticket does not guarantee admission to any of the host nations, including Canada, Mexico, or the US.

Supporters planning to visit the US should apply for either the Visa Waiver Programme (commonly referred to as an ESTA) or a Visitor Visa (B1/B2), depending on their nationality. UK nationals generally qualify for an ESTA.

Canada requires many visitors to secure a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), while Mexico permits visa-free entry for numerous nationalities, including UK travelers.

US embassies are prioritizing appointments for World Cup ticket holders but continue to urge fans to apply at their earliest convenience.

It remains uncertain how ticket holders from countries whose citizens predominantly face travel bans to the US will be treated.

Several members of the Iranian delegation were denied entry to the US for the World Cup draw last week.