When to Buy World Cup 2026 Tickets: Timing Guide & Price Analysis

Last Updated On Dec 21, 2025

There are over 326,000 World Cup tickets already circulating on the resale market, timing your purchase could mean the difference between paying £129 or £3,663 for entry.

“A World Cup is 104 Super Bowls in a month, which is three Super Bowls a day.” – Gianni Infantino.

When it comes to American sports, there is no bigger single event each year than the NFL Super Bowl. The get-in price for the Super Bowl starts at £3,634, whilst World Cup final resale tickets begin at £3,663.

Not all games at the World Cup are equal, and there are bargains to be found, not least some group games which are currently under £150.

SeatPick is uniquely placed to guide you through when to buy World Cup tickets. As an aggregator of reliable resale ticket sites we have data for all 104 games at our fingertips.

Here is what we discovered: Flexible buyers should purchase TBD group stage matches now, before the December 5 draw, while entry prices sit under £200.

Those targeting knockout rounds should wait until after the draw to see how the bracket shapes up.

However, if the final or semi finals are on your list, don’t delay — prices are already trending upward and the cheapest final tickets start at £3,663.

The window for genuine value closes in days, not weeks.

Best Time to Buy World Cup 2026 Tickets: Before or After the Draw?

We are just two days away from the World Cup group stage draw. On Friday, December 5, 2025, the whole World Cup will be set. Teams will know their group stage opponents and their route to the final.

If you are reading this in time, and your selection process is not defined by a team but rather by a location, the time to buy is now. If you’re flexible on teams and primarily want the World Cup experience, this is your window.

63 group stage matches are completely unknown who will play who and the average entry price for these matches is just £191, with the cheapest available for £129.

This is not the case for the host nations, who are currently the only teams that know when and where they will play.

Matches featuring Mexico, USA, or Canada average £605 for entry tickets compared to just £191 for non-host nation games. Home crowd demand is already heavily priced in – if you’re specifically after a host nation match, expect to pay more than triple the standard group stage price.

World Cup 2026 Ticket Phases

If you have already applied for World Cup tickets, you will be well aware of the commiseration email:

“Dear Football Fan, Thank you for your interest in the World Cup 26™ Early Ticket Draw. Unfortunately, your entry was unsuccessful…”

The first ballot for World Cup tickets – launched in September and open only to Visa cardholders – saw 4.5 million fans apply. Another lottery was initiated in October, and according to football’s world governing body over two million tickets have already been sold.

In total, there are just over seven million tickets for sale at the 2026 World Cup, to fill every seat for 104 matches taking place across 16 venues of the North American World Cup.

The third sales draw for World Cup tickets opens on December 11 and this will be the first one that features matches with teams confirmed, following Friday’s draw.

According to football’s world governing body: “During the two initial ticket sales phases, residents of the three host countries – the United States, Canada and Mexico, in that order – drove the most purchases, followed by fans in England, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Argentina and France. Fans in 212 countries and territories have already secured their tickets.”

How To Buy Legit Resale Tickets For World Cup 2026

SeatPick only features reliable resale tickets sites that provide a minimum money-back 100% guarantee.

With two ballots having been launched and Hospitality tickets also available, there are currently plenty of World Cup tickets available. Some of the numbers are quite eye opening and give an insight into the market as it stands:

Once the draw takes place on December 5, 2025 and the games are set on December 6, expect prices on attractive matchups to spike immediately as demand crystallises around specific games.

Host Nation Matches Command a 218% Premium

Mexico’s opening match costs £1,602 to enter, while their other two group games average £819. You’re paying nearly double purely for the ceremony and “first match of the tournament” factor.

If you want to see Mexico but don’t need the pageantry, their later group matches offer significantly better value.

USA matches also follow a similar trend, with their first match at SoFi Stadium the most expensive of the three, before their opponents are known.

Will World Cup 2026 Ticket Prices Drop After the Draw?

The clearest insight from current data: uncertainty is cheap, certainty is expensive. Matches where at least one team is confirmed (host nations) command massively higher prices than TBD fixtures.

After December 5, every group match will have confirmed teams. Expect the current £191 average for TBD matches to reprice significantly — particularly for games featuring traditional powers like Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, England, and Spain.

That said — and we mean no disrespect — with 48 teams in the tournament, some smaller nations simply won’t command high prices.

The likes of Qatar, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Curacao, Haiti and Panama should all offer reasonable prices even if they face some of the World Cup giants.

Should I Buy World Cup 2026 Tickets Now?

Buy now (before 5 December) if:

You want group stage tickets and are flexible on teams
You’re targeting host nation matches (prices unlikely to drop)
You want the final or semi finals (already trending up)

Wait until after the draw if:

You want to see a specific nation
You’re hoping for a “weak” group matchup at discount prices
You’re targeting Round of 32 or Round of 16 matches featuring specific bracket paths

General timing principles:

Prices typically rise as tournaments approach
57% of matches are already trending upward
The cheapest tickets are TBD matches — these will disappear on 5 December

Will I Be Able To Buy Last Minute World Cup Tickets?

If you are a previous user of SeatPick, you will know that tickets can be purchased for sports or music events right up until it starts. Even in the minutes after it begins too.

With mobile tickets, you can be at the venue location and pay and download the entry pass in a matter of a few minutes.

This will remain true for the 2026 World Cup and we expect there to be plenty of resale tickets available.

However, demand from the host countries fans, even for matches not involving their own teams is expected to be immense. Demand in Mexico is already enormous.

Whilst in America, where the majority of the games will be played, a whopping 87 million Americans have expressed at least “a little interest” in the World Cup, according to a recent survey by Fox Soccer.

Americans purchased 147,000 tickets to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which is more than any other visiting nation.

Last minute World Cup tickets will be available on SeatPick and football’s world governing body are running out their own resale site, but demand could be absolutely enormous.

The World Cup Play-Offs: Another Potential Impact On Ticket Prices

In this expanded World Cup, as it stands, 42 teams have qualified. Six more will be confirmed only in March. Four teams from Europe and two from the rest of the world.

Once the draw takes place and then another World Cup ballot opens, the market should calm down somewhat and settle into an obvious pattern.

This will be upended in March somewhat with the European World Cup play offs and Inter-Confederation World Cup Play-Offs.

There are plenty of eventualities here, including some home nations qualifying (Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland) as well as some bona fide giants in Italy securing a spot in North America or some minnows such as Suriname or New Caledonia battling their way through.

World Cup 2026 Venues: Where to Find Value

The 2026 World Cup spans 16 stadiums across three countries, and where you watch matters almost as much as what you watch. Venue location creates significant price variation — even for identical rounds of the tournament.

Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca commands the highest average entry price at £740, driven by Mexico’s opening match (£1,602) and the passionate home support. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey follows at £673 average — hosting the final pushes that figure considerably, with entry starting at £3,663 for the showpiece event.

Vancouver’s BC Place (£344) and San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium (£324) round out the premium tier, both benefiting from strong local demand and attractive fixture allocations.

If budget is your primary concern, target matches in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Kansas City, or Boston — all offer group stage football for under £200. If you want the atmosphere of a football-mad crowd and don’t mind paying for it, Mexico City and New York deliver the premium experience at premium prices.

World Cup Ticket Price Trends

Here at SeatPick we will be keeping a very close eye on ticket prices for the World Cup.

Gianni Infantino may be overblowing the demand by claiming the World Cup is “104 Super Bowls” but there is no doubt that billions will tune in across the world. And, around five million tourists are expected in USA, Canada and Mexico.

The current resale market contains 326,215 listings with an estimated total value of £474 million. Group stage matches account for 70% of this inventory (228,533 listings), offering the widest selection and greatest price variation.

Across all 104 matches, 59 (57%) show upward price movement while 45 (43%) are trending down. This suggests sustained demand with more buyers entering the market than sellers – a pattern that typically accelerates as the tournament approaches.

Only the Olympics really gets close to the World Cup and in the next seven months we expect plenty of movement in this market.

World Cup Ticket Price Comparison Table

Match Type	Entry From	Average
TBD Group Match	£129	£191
Host Nation Group	£260	£605
Round of 32	£280	£1,345
Quarter Final	£555	£2,065
Semi Final	£894	£3,455
Final	£3,663	£9,508