FIFA announces lottery for buying single-game tickets for 2026 World Cup in KC
Although GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium has a capacity of more than 75,000, tickets for matches there during the 2026 World Cup could be difficult to find.
There is usually a crush of demand for World Cup matches, which is why FIFA holds a ticket lottery. That lottery for next year’s World Cup will held in phases beginning on Sept. 10, FIFA announced Tuesday.
“Following the incredible success of the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, excitement is reaching new heights for the FIFA World Cup 26,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a news release. “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.”
There will be six World Cup matches at Arrowhead Stadium next year starting on June 16. It’s likely that game and the other three group-stage matches will be part of the first wave of tickets made available in the lottery.
Additionally, two knockout-round games will be played at Arrowhead, but tickets for those matches probably will be available in a later phase of the lottery.
Here’s what fans need to know:
- Fans should visit FIFA.com/tickets to register their interest
- When registering, fans will need to create a FIFA ID if they haven’t done so already. This is how FIFA will make fans aware of future ticketing dates and how to buy them
- On Sept. 10, fans will then be able to use their FIFA ID to apply for their first chance to buy tickets
FIFA is expecting 6.5 million fans for the 2026 World Cup, which will have 48 teams playing in 104 matches in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The first match is June 11 in Mexico City.
“Several distinct ticket sales phases” will take place from Sept. 10 to July 19, 2026, which is when the World Cup final will be held, per FIFA.
“Each phase may differ in purchasing processes, payment methods and ticket products, and full details on each phase will be released in the coming months,” FIFA said in a news release.
Hospitality packages for the World Cup are currently on sale.
