FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets: What to know as lottery results are revealed

The 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket race has entered a decisive new phase. FIFA has begun emailing fans with the results of the Random Selection Draw for the latest ticket lottery, with notifications going out no earlier than Thursday, February 5, 2026.

This FIFA World Cup 2 Ticket draw covered applications submitted between December 11 and January 13, a window that generated an astonishing 500 million ticket requests for matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada. If you applied in this phase, the next few days are critical.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Tickets Lottery Result: How and When You’ll Be Notified

The release of Random Selection Draw results is a major turning point in the FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket race. With over 500 million requests chasing a finite number of seats, even well-prepared fans are experiencing a mix of joy and disappointment as emails start to land.

Whether you’ve secured your dream match or are still chasing a seat, the key is the same:
stay vigilant, use only official channels, and be ready for the April sales rush.

How the World Cup ticket lottery results work

FIFA is informing fans of their results by email only, sent to the address linked to their FIFA ticketing account. There are three possible outcomes:

• Successful application – You receive tickets for all the matches you requested.
• Partially successful – You receive tickets for some, but not all, of your requested matches.
• Unsuccessful – You are not allocated any tickets in this phase, and your card is not charged.

For successful or partially successful applications:

• Your payment method on file is charged automatically for the tickets allocated.
• You do not need to log in and “confirm” the purchase – if you win, the system processes it for you.
• You’ll see the details (matches, categories, prices) by logging into your FIFA ticketing account once your email arrives.

FIFA is also warning fans that emails will not all arrive at the same time. Messages began going out on February 5 and will continue in waves, so some applicants will hear earlier than others.

Action steps right now:

• Check your inbox and spam/junk folder regularly.
• Add FIFA ticketing addresses (such as the no‑reply FIFA ticket emails listed in the FAQ) to your safe sender list to avoid missing a notification.

Didn’t get tickets? More chances are coming

If your application is unsuccessful or only partially successful, you still have multiple future opportunities:

1. Last-Minute Sales phase (early April)

The next major window is the Last-Minute Sales phase, expected to launch in early April 2026.

Key points:

• This phase is first-come, first-served — not a lottery.
• Tickets are confirmed immediately at checkout, subject to live availability.
• It will be your best chance to grab seats that are returned, unsold, or newly released closer to the tournament.

2. Official FIFA Resale/Exchange Marketplace

FIFA is also operating an official Resale/Exchange Marketplace at FIFA.com/tickets, where fans can resell tickets back into the system under FIFA’s rules.

• The marketplace is open now, but will close on February 22 before briefly pausing.
• It is scheduled to reopen on April 2, ahead of the Last-Minute Sales phase.

If you missed out in the lottery, the resale platform plus April sales will be your main legitimate paths to tickets.

Important: FIFA repeatedly stresses that fans should only buy through official channels (FIFA.com/tickets and the official resale platform) to avoid invalid or fraudulent tickets.

Which matches are drawing the most demand?

According to FIFA’s data from this Random Selection Draw phase, several fixtures stand out as the most requested matches in the entire tournament:

• A group-stage clash between Colombia and Portugal in Miami
• A Mexico group match vs. South Korea in Guadalajara (June 18)
• The tournament opener, Mexico vs. South Africa, on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City
• A Round of 32 match in Toronto (teams TBD), scheduled for July 2
• The World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in the New York/New Jersey area on July 19, 2026

Unsurprisingly, demand is highest from fans in the host nations — the United States, Mexico and Canada — but FIFA reports especially strong interest from Germany, Brazil, Spain, Argentina and Colombia as well.

With 48 teams and 104 matches across 16 host cities, this World Cup is on track to be the largest and most-watched in history, with an estimated 6.5 million in-stadium spectators.

Quick refresher: How we got here in the ticketing timeline

The February lottery results are part of a multi-phase ticketing program that began in 2025:

• Phase 1 – Visa Presale Draw (Sept 10–19, 2025):
  First exclusive lottery window for Visa cardholders; around 1 million tickets released.
• Phase 2 – Early Ticket Draw (Oct 27–31, 2025):
  Second lottery open to the general public; roughly another 1 million tickets sold, meaning about 25–30% of total inventory was gone before team matchups were even known.
• December 2025 – Final Draw & Match Schedule:
  Official matchups, venues and kick-off times confirmed, instantly changing the value and desirability of “blind” tickets purchased earlier.
• Phase 3 – Random Selection Draw (Dec 11, 2025–Jan 13, 2026):
  First lottery where fans could apply for specific matchups (e.g., “USA vs Italy” type fixtures). Over 500 million ticket requests were submitted in this phase alone.
• Now – February 5, 2026 onward:
  FIFA is emailing Random Selection Draw lottery results and charging successful applications.
• Next – April 2026:
  Last-Minute Sales (first-come, first-served) plus the reopening of the official resale marketplace.

What fans should do today

1. Watch your email closely

If you applied in the December–January lottery, treat your email like a second job this week. Check:

• Inbox
• Promotions / Updates tabs
• Spam / Junk folders

Remember, no email = no allocation for this phase — there’s no separate notification portal beyond your FIFA ticketing account.

2. Make sure your payment method is ready

Because FIFA auto-charges successful applications, verify that:

• Your card has sufficient limit/funds
• Your billing details are correct
• Your bank is not likely to block a large international transaction without confirmation

A declined charge could risk losing your allocated tickets.

3. Plan for April if you miss out

If this lottery doesn’t go your way:

• Mark early April for the Last-Minute Sales phase (first-come, first-served).
• Keep an eye on the official resale platform from April 2 onward.
• Avoid third-party resellers that are not endorsed by FIFA.

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