Image source, Getty Images
Image caption, The cheapest ticket for the World Cup final in New Jersey is expected to be listed for more than 3,000
ByTom Grundy
BBC Sport Senior Journalist
The main ticket ballot for next summer’s World Cup in North America opened on Thursday afternoon.
It’s the first opportunity for fans to secure tickets since the draw was made and the full match schedule announced last week.
Fifa’s pricing model has been criticised, with Football Supporters Europe warning of “record high prices” and “huge financial risks” to follow their teams.
From an earlier phase, the price of tickets ranged from 45 to 5,915.
So what do we know about the tournament’s controversial ticketing operation – and how can you secure tickets?
How does the ballot work?
From 16: 00 GMT on Thursday, fans can apply for tickets on Fifa’s website, external for the matches of their choice.
Each household can request up to four tickets per match and a maximum of 40 across the tournament.
The application window runs until 13 January 2026. There is no advantage to applying early – all fixtures remain available throughout the entire period.
Once the window closes, Fifa will run a lottery to decide which applications are successful.
Fans will be notified by email in February and, if they have been allocated tickets, will be charged automatically.
What about dynamic pricing?
Dynamic pricing – or “variable pricing” as Fifa calls it – will be used in some phases of World Cup ticket sales.
However, the governing body has confirmed that it will not apply during the main ballot. The price you see at the start of the window will be the same at the end.
Prices will still be set based on expected demand for each fixture, with high-profile games likely to cost more.
For now, Fifa hasn’t published any official price lists. It is expected people will know the price of tickets they ballot for on Thursday when it opens.
At present, the best guide we have comes from fans who tracked prices during the earlier sale phase.
Fifa has promoted Category 4 tickets as “an access
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