Tickets, Visa, TV Broadcast: FAQ on the 2026 Football World Cup

With the group draw of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday (6:00 PM CET/live ORF 1) in Washington, the event in the USA, Mexico, and Canada receives a fixed structure. The tournament takes place from June 11 to July 19. These are the most important facts for fans:

What is the ticket situation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Very tense. In the first two sales phases, fans have purchased almost two million tickets for the World Cup next summer. According to the world association, the greatest demand was in the three host countries - followed by England, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Argentina, and France.

The third phase lasts from December 11 to January 13. Fans can apply for individual, fixed matches. When they do this within this time frame does not matter, as the tickets will be allocated by random draw, as FIFA announced. It is the last official sales phase of the world association, after which remaining tickets will be allocated on a "first come, first served" basis.

As recently as September, FIFA announced that tickets were available for as low as 60 US dollars (around 51 euros). The only problem: The green areas representing this price category four are vanishingly small in the World Cup stadiums. There are hardly any available tickets for the lowest price. Instead, yellow (Category 1) and red seats (Category 2) dominate the arena plans - these are significantly more expensive.

2026 FIFA World Cup: Exorbitant prices on the resale market

Prices become exorbitant on the resale market, which the world association has already opened. Tickets for regular group matches, which should actually cost 60 dollars, suddenly cost around 500 dollars. For other matches, the increases are even higher.

On the official FIFA resale market, tickets for the semifinals and the final are being offered at prices over 100,000 dollars per ticket. On the secondary market, FIFA takes 15 percent from the seller and adds 15 percent to the buyer's price. The criticism from fans is immense.

What Should Be Considered When Planning a Trip for the 2026 Football World Cup?

Fans must prepare for long distances and travel times, unlike in 2022 in Qatar. The 16 venues are divided into three zones to avoid excessive flying back and forth between the West and East coasts. However, the distances are still large. Not only for tickets but also for flights and accommodations: it will be expensive.

When Will the Schedule for the 2026 Football World Cup Be Released?

Unlike usual, the exact schedule will not be announced via a statement this time but will be presented in a live show moderated by President Gianni Infantino on Saturday (6:00 PM/CET). If the ÖFB team knows its group opponents after the draw on Friday, it will learn about the stadiums and specific kick-off times approximately 24 hours later.

From then on, fans can plan their trips in detail. It is expected that European football heavyweights like Germany, England, and France will have kick-off times in the Central European evening hours during the group stage, rather than at night. The knockout stage is harder to plan due to many contingencies.

Do I Need a Visa as a Stadium Visitor for the 2026 Football World Cup?

No, it is not mandatory. Instead, Austrians must apply online for a so-called Esta (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) for the USA. This is a program that allows citizens to stay in the United States without a visa, for example, for their vacation. Austria is one of the countries that are part of the program. Those who hold an Austrian passport can obtain the Esta authorization.

A passport is required for the application, which should be valid for at least the duration of the planned stay. The fee is 40 US dollars (approximately 34.50 euros). Once granted, Esta is valid for two years - but if the specified passport expires earlier, it will also expire accordingly earlier. The same applies to Mexico and Canada, where a visa is also not mandatory.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.