— By Ariel Frager —
Fédération Internationale de Football Association, commonly known as FIFA, is hosting a giant party in 2026 — The World Cup. There will be 104 matches in 16 cities in the three North American host countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Over 6.5 million fans are expected to cheer on the 48 national teams from around the world who will ultimately qualify for the 2026 World Cup tournament.
If you’re looking to plan some travel around next year’s games, now is the best time to get moving!
Scoring Tickets to a Match
Scoring tickets to a match will take some dedication and advanced planning. The best way to have an opportunity to purchase tickets is to register at the FIFA website and create a FIFA ID.
Registered fans can join the early ticket draw window from October 27 – October 31, 2025. Fans will enter the drawing anytime during this time period through the FIFA website and successful lottery winners will be given a specific time slot to purchase tickets the following week. There will be multiple purchasing phases between the first release date and the start of the tournament in June 2026. By registering their interest on the FIFA website, fans will be notified when the next phase of early ticket sale lottery will begin.
Fans can purchase a maximum of four tickets per game and up to 40 tickets total. Closer to the tournament start date, fans will be able to purchase the remaining tickets on a first come, first served basis. By utilizing a dynamic pricing model, basing the sale price on demand and availability for the general ticking, prices for the tickets range from $60 up to over $6000 for tier 1 seats for the final match.
The kick off match in Mexico City is set to be played on June 11, 2026.
If your lucky number is drawn, you will be given access to purchase tickets at a specific date and time. “We’re looking forward to welcoming the world back to North America, as Canada, Mexico, and the United States host what will be the biggest and greatest sporting event ever. We encourage fans everywhere to get ready to secure their place — these will be the most coveted seats in world sport,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Photo by Jannik on Unsplash
Hospitality Packages Puts Tickets in Your Hands Now
For hardcore fans who want to make sure to have a seat in the stadium, Hospitality Packages are currently available and include premium seating, access to exclusive areas of the stadium and other perks. A single game Hospitality ticket starts at $1,350. A seat for all the matches in the same stadium, four to nine games depending on the venue, begins at $8,275 per person.
Booking Reservations Before Securing Tickets
Discerning World Cup attendees would be wise to book hotel and flight reservations in the host cities even before securing tickets. Many hotels offer fully refundable room reservations if you cancel 30 days before your stay, some hotels the window to cancel without penalty is as little as 24 hours ahead. Host cities are gearing up for the onslaught of tourists, which will make hotel rooms close to the stadiums a hot commodity the closer it gets to the opening kick off.
Equally important as a place to stay, will be reasonably priced flights to the host cities. With eleven U.S. host cities, three in Mexico, and two in Canada, fans will have their pick of stadiums to attend a match. Booking a refundable flight now to your favorite city is the best way to guarantee an affordable fare.
U.S. Host Cities/Stadiums
Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
Boston (Gillette Stadium), Dallas (AT&T Stadium)
Houston (NRG Stadium), Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium)
Kansas City (Arrowhead Stadium)
Miami (Hard Rock Stadium)
New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium)
Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field)
San Francisco/Bay Area (Levi’s Stadium)
Seattle (Lumen Field)
Mexico Host Cities/Stadiums
Guadalajara (Estadio Akron)
Mexico City (Estadio Azteca)
Monterrey (Estadio BBVA)
Canada Host Cities/Stadiums
Toronto (BMO Field)
Vancouver (BC Place)
A packed stadium at a previous year’s World Cup match / Photo by untldshots on Unsplash
Expanded Host Cities, Expanded Qualifying Nations
For the first time the World Cup will host 48 (up from 32) national teams from all over the world. The expansion gives fans more opportunities to catch a game because there will be a total of 104 matches played in the three host nations, also a first for the tournament.
The 48 teams are divided into 12 groups of four. 45 qualifying nations and the three host countries automatically qualify to play. In the group stage, the teams will be fighting the other nations in their group for a spot to continue in the tournament. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third place teams will move on to the round of 32.
Each subsequent match will be a knockout, meaning that the winner moves on to the next round. In soccer, a draw (that’s a tie in soccer-speak) is common in regulation time. If a match reaches full time and the score is equal, teams will play two 15-minute periods of extra time. If the match is still a draw, the game will be decided by a penalty shoot out. The teams take turns shooting penalty kicks with the team scoring the most after a set of five shots is declared the winner.
The World Cup final will be held in New Jersey at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday July 19, 2026. Soccer fans from across the globe will be watching and with good planning a little luck, you can be celebrating in the stands across the US, Mexico and Canada.
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Ariel Frager loves to get outside to play, be it surfing, traveling the world or walking the dog. She is a school counselor and mental health therapist during the week and pursues her passion for exploring new places and cultures as a travel writer. Ariel’s writing has been published in a variety of print and online outlets including: Travel + Leisure, Gear Junkie, Bearfoot Theory, Family Vacationist and others. Ariel writes about outdoor and family adventures in her beloved Pacific Northwest and beyond. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.
