(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

The Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifiers are still underway, the fixtures are undecided, and there have been talks about possible venue changes - but football fans (or soccer, if you're from the US) don't seem to care. More than a million tickets were sold during the first pre-sales phase.

Second phase of World Cup ticket sales underway

Fifa opened the second phase of ticket sales on October 27 and offered another one million tickets through the Early Ticket Draw. Fans with a Fifa ID could log in at Fifa/tickets to enter, while new fans were required to create an account.

Priority for World Cup host countries

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Residents of the US, Canada, and Mexico had a domestic priority window starting November 12, lasting 72 hours. During this period, they could purchase single-match tickets for games in their home country. Seventy-five percent of the tickets for this phase were reserved for domestic fans, with confirmations sent 48 hours before the purchase window.

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Global early ticket draw access

After the domestic priority window, both domestic and international fans who entered the Early Ticket Draw became eligible for randomised time slots starting November 17. Fans selected in this phase could purchase available Single Match Tickets and Team Specific Tickets for games across all three host countries.

Next ticket sales phases

Additional tickets will be released in later phases, according to Fifa. The Random Selection Draw will begin in the weeks following the Final Draw on December 5, once most group-stage matchups are revealed. Fans will then be able to apply for specific matches, with more details to be announced closer to the event.

Given the strong demand recorded so far, Fifa expects tickets to continue selling quickly as the process advances.

Fans from 212 countries and territories purchased tickets during the first pre-sales period, which opened in mid-September, Fifa said in a statement. Demand was led by residents of the three host nations - the United States, Canada and Mexico - followed by England, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Argentina and France.

“What an exciting milestone on the road to 2026,” Fifa President Gianni Infantino had said.“We celebrate surpassing the one-million-ticket mark after the Visa pre-sales, a fantastic proof that the most ambitious and inclusive Fifa World Cup ever is generating huge global excitement.”

In addition to robust ticket sales, the on-field lineup is taking shape. A total of 28 teams have already qualified for the tournament, which will be the first to feature 48 nations and 104 matches across 16 cities in the three host countries.

The 2026 World Cup will take place across venues in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking the first time the tournament will be hosted by three nations.

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