Summer and the 2026 World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico may feel a long way off in the winter gloom, but it is just 126 days until it all gets underway.
The inaugural 48-team World Cup kicks off with Mexico hosting South Africa in the iconic Azteca stadium in Mexico City, a re-run of the thrilling 2010 opener in Johannesburg.
The hype for the tournament grew when the groups were announced in December and Feb. 5 is another important day in the 2026 World Cup countdown, as fans across the world will find out if they have access to the hottest tickets in town.
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When will I find out if I get World Cup tickets?
FIFA revealed on Jan. 14, the day after the random selection draw for ticket sales came to an end, that fans would be notified by email if their applications had been successful or partially successful on Feb. 5.
If found successful, money will be automatically taken out of the account you provided FIFA with.
A partially successful application means you will receive the number of tickets you requested to at least one match, but not to all matches requested.
How many people applied?
FIFA claim they received as many as 500 million ticket requests in the 33-day period from 11 December 2025 and 13 January 2026 — the random selection draw ticket sales phase.
That is an average of 15 million ticket requests per day in that window, with applications coming from quite literally every corner of the globe, as FIFA received applications from all 211 member associations.
Which countries had the highest number of requests?
Obviously, the host countries — Mexico, USA and Canada had the highest number of requests among those half a billion.
Outside of those three countries, the main appliers were fans from Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Colombia.
Which matches had the most demand?
The most sought-after match was Colombia’s group stage clash with Portugal in Miami on June 27 — unsurprising given fans from both countries were among the top requesters.
The tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa on June 11 and another Mexico group match between the hosts and South Korea in Guadalajara on June 18 were also among the top five.
Toronto’s round-of-32 match on July 2 was the only Canadian hosted match in the top five, with the final in New York on July 19 also of course in the top five.
Will there be another chance to buy tickets?
Should you not be one of the lucky few who will get tickets to this summer’s tournament, there will be another chance to buy tickets at face value.
The last-minute sales phase, as FIFA call it, will open closer to the tournament and remain open until the final.
There, tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
There is also the resale/exchange marketplace for eligible ticket holders, which is another place to look for tickets or to sell them.
When does the World Cup start and end?
The World Cup starts on June 11 in Mexico City and runs until the final on July 19 in New York City.
Group stage matches run until June 28 UK time, with the round of 32 getting underway later that day.
When are England in action?
England’s tournament begins on 17 June, when Thomas Tuchel’s side take on Croatia in Texas.
The Three Lions then face Ghana on 23 June in Massachusetts, before wrapping up the group stage against Panama on 27 June in New Jersey.
