FIFA World Cup 2026 Ticket Sales Enter Final Phase

The final phase of FIFA World Cup ticket sales opened on Wednesday, April 1, amid high demand and heavy online traffic as soccer fans rushed to secure their seats for the summer matches.

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed with Action News 6abc that more than 1 million tickets were sold in each of the first three sales phases, totaling more than 3 million for general sales. FIFA anticipates the tournament will sell approximately 6 million tickets in total. Not all tickets have been released; additional seats may become available over the next several days.

Ticket prices range from several hundred to several thousand dollars, making affordability a central issue for domestic and international fans.

As ticket sales increase, security preparations are also following suit. Collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies is resulting in planning that includes visible and behind-the-scenes measures long in advance of a single ball being kicked to ensure safety.

"They're gonna be doing the physical security, which is setting up lines where people go. They're gonna set up a buffer zone protection plan. They're gonna be looking for known actors that might want to cause trouble or cause a terrorist hit on this event. There are lots of layered types of security that nobody even talks about, nobody even knows about," said Jack Tomarchio, a former principal deputy under the Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence, who spoke with Action News.

The World Cup will begin in early June, with matches taking place across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The first match in Philadelphia is set for June 14.