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For sports fans planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, getting a hold of World Cup tickets is a critical part of the plan.
The tournament will take place across three countries, 16 cities, and 104 games, giving you many ways to be part of this historical event.
In this article, we explain how the 2026 World Cup ticketing system works, how you can enter the ticket sales phases, and how you can save money on your match tickets using points.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026 in 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico, and the US.
With over 100 matches scheduled during the tournament, there are millions of tickets going up for sale, and for fans hoping to score a few, it will be important to understand how World Cup tickets can be accessed.
The first thing to know is that tickets are being sold in phases. The first sales phase was the Visa Presale Draw that ran from September 10 to 19, 2025, and the second sales phase was the Early Ticket Draw, which ran from October 27 to 31, 2025.
The next sales phase is the Random Selection Draw, running from December 11, 2025, to January 13, 2026.
Following the Random Selection Draw phase, the next sales phase is expected to be a traditional first-come, first-served style.
Additional tickets are also expected be made available through local fan organizations like Canada Red, so be sure to explore all avenues if you’re hoping to snag tickets to a game in Vancouver or Toronto.
As you’re making your World Cup-related travel plans, don’t forget to check out our other guides that will help you save money on accommodations and airfare.
The first phase of ticket sales for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was the Visa Presale Draw, which ran from September 10 to September 19, 2025.
This phase is now over.
The second phase of tickets sales for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was the Early Ticket Draw, which ran from October 27 to October 31, 2025.
This phase is now closed.
The third phase of tickets sales for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the Random Selection Draw, which will run from December 11, 2025, to January 13, 2026.
In this sales phase, you need to select the specific match you’d like to buy tickets for, as well as the respective ticket category and number of tickets. If your name is drawn, you’ll be automatically charged for your chosen tickets in Feburary 2026.
This is different from the first two sales phases which simply let you put your name in the draw for a possible chance to purchase tickets across the World Cup tournament.
The Final Draw to determine the initial schedule for the group stage will take place on December 5, 2025, so you’ll be able to choose exactly which matches you’d like to try to buy tickets for.
During the previous sales phases, over 2 million tickets have been sold; however, it’s been stated that, overall, there are approximately 7 million tickets available for the entire tournament, so there’s still plenty available for the Random Selection Draw.
Now, if your bid to purchase tickets is not selected during this sales phase, FIFA has said that all remaining tickets will go on sale in a first-come, first-served format closer to the tournament start date.
Although the exact details of how to sign up for the Random Selection Draw are not available, the process should be similar to earlier sales phases, as follows:
To sign up for the Random Selection Draw, you need to start by going to FIFA.com/tickets. Next, scroll down to the FIFA World Cup 2026 section and click on “Explore details.”
Once on the next page, click on “Learn more.” This will redirect you to either sign up for a FIFA ticketing account if you haven’t already or sign in to your account if you’ve already got one set up.
Once you’re signed in to your FIFA ticketing account, you’ll likely see an option the Random Selection Draw.
(Note that the screenshots we’ve included are from the first ticket sales phase (the Visa Presale Draw); however, it’s likely the page will look similar for the Random Selection Draw as well.)
Once you’ve found the Random Selection Draw page, you’ll be able to select which match(es) you’d like to purchase tickets for, including the ticket categories and number of tickets you’d like to purchase.
You’re able to enter the draw to purchase a maximum of 4 tickets per household per match, for up to a total of 40 tickets across the entire tournament.
Successful ticket applicants will get an email notifying them and will be charged for their successful applications in February 2026.
Partially successful bids are possible. This means that you may succeed at purchasing some of your requested tickets but not all of them.
Once you’ve completed all the information for the ticket application(s) and hit confirm to be entered into the draw, all that’s left to do is cross your fingers that your name is selected!
One of the best ways to save money on your 2026 FIFA World Cup tickets is to pay for them using the right credit card so that you can earn flexible points on your purchase.
These flexible points can then be redeemed for statement credits that can partially or fully cover 2026 World Cup expenses like tickets, accommodations, airfare, and more.
For example, Scotiabank’s Scene+ program lets you earn up to 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent on an affiliated credit card like the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite* Card, which helps you build up your points balance quickly.
With your accumulated points, you can redeem for free groceries, gifts cards, restaurant meals, and, most relevant to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for travel expenses and general statement credits.
A fantastic feature of Scene+ program is that you have up to 12 months after the purchase date to go back and apply your points to eligible travel expenses. Not only that, but you can also choose to redeem points to just partially cover an expense. This means that you don’t have to have the full amount of points to access the travel redemption rate.
When redeeming Scene+ points for travel expenses, 1,000 Scene+ points = $10 in credit.
Comparatively, when redeeming Scene+ points for a general statement credit, the redemption rate is 1,500 Scene+ points = $1.
We’ve got detailed guides on how to use your Scene+ points to save money on travel, plus a guide that gives you the 6 best ways to redeem your points. Take a look at both to maximize the value and utility you can get from all the Scene+ points you earn.
Since tickets to sports events like the World Cup typically fall under a credit card’s “Entertainment” merchant category and not the “Travel” category, covering the cost of these tickets with Scene+ points will most likely be done as a general statement credit at the rate of 1,500 Scene+ points = $10.
However, we have seen instances where tickets show up on credit card statements as eligible travel purchases, so be sure to double-check to see if you can redeem your points at the elevated travel redemption rate (1,000 Scene+ points = $10).
Of course, even if the tickets themselves are not eligible for the a travel redemption, you can still access this redemption category for other World Cup-related purchases like airfare, hotels, Airbnbs, transit, car rentals, and more.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be an unforgettable event showcasing the best in men’s soccer from around the world.
For fans looking to attend a match in person, the price probably won’t come cheap, but thankfully there are a handful of ways to save on accommodations, flights, and tickets.
By using flexible loyalty points like Scene+, you can earn points with credit cards like the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite* Card and then redeem your collected points for statement credits to help make this event more accessible and more fun!
Be sure to also check out our destinations guides and travel tips for many of the World Cup host cities:
If any tickets remain available after the Random Selection Draw sales phase, they will likely be put on sale in a traditional first-come, first-served basis closer to the tournament start date.
You are allowed to purchase 4 tickets per household for up to 10 matches, for a total of 40 tickets.
By entering the Random Selection Draw, you are agreeing to purchase the requested tickets, and your payment card will be automatically charged if you selected.
Savings are here (if you don’t see the sign-up form, please click here):
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