What we know so far about FIFA World Cup 26™ ticket applications

With England now qualified for the FIFA World Cup 26™ and the tournament draw fast approaching, we know many members are already thinking ahead to next summer’s ticket application process.

While FIFA has not yet released the full details, we expect comprehensive information, including ticket pricing and category breakdowns, to be confirmed in the days following the draw.

We are currently in active discussions with FIFA regarding how applications and purchases will work on their platform, and how we can ensure the fairest possible process for all members.

Below is the latest information we can share (please note that all details remain subject to change):

• Initial registration of interest: We will run our own initial registration of interest, once all the venues and dates are confirmed, and before access opens on FIFA’s website.
   
  We expect this registration period to run from Monday 8 December until Wednesday 10 December.
  
  This is not an official registration window; however, we encourage all members who plan on applying for tickets to register their interest.  The data we gather will help us provide clearer, more tailored guidance to supporters to help you get the games and categories you wish based on your caps total.
  
  
• Initial Guidance: Off the back of our own registration, we expect to be able to offer members advice on their application by Friday 12 December.
  
  
• FIFA application window: FIFA’s application period will open on Thursday 11 December and run until Tuesday 13 January. 
  
  At this moment in time, we expect our members to have access to officially apply for tickets, via FIFA’s portal, from Monday 15 December. An email will be sent to all members on Monday 15 December with guidance on how to access FIFA’s application portal.
  
  Note: Tickets in the official ESTC allocation will only be made available to members of the Travel Club.  Meaning even though other nations, and the general public, will have access to the portal from the 11^th, they will be unable to apply for any of ‘our’ tickets. 
  
  
• Will there be other opportunities to buy?: We expect this application window will be the only opportunity for ESTC members to apply for tickets in the official ESTC allocation.  Any potential future sale windows will rely on ticket availability and may be subject to FIFA's variable pricing.
  
  
• Soft Deadline: We will advise all members to apply for their tickets by 11pm on Sunday 21 December.  After this date, we will receive the application data from FIFA.  We will use this data to offer members final guidance on their application.
  
  It is important to note that if you are unable to complete the application by Sunday 21 December that you will not be penalised.  However, the more members who complete the application before this date, the more accurate guidance we will be able to offer for adjusting applications before the final deadline on Tuesday 13 January 2026.
  
  
• Final Guidance: We anticipate being able to offer our final guidance in the week commencing the 29^th of December 2025.  This will give members until Tuesday 13 January 2026 to change their application if they wish.
  
  
• Matches Available: Supporters will be able to apply for all Group Stage matches and all Conditional Knock-Out Stage Matches.
  
  
• Category Locations: We expect FIFA to locate Category 1 tickets across the entire lower tier, with all other categories being located higher up and further away from the pitch.  This suggests the cheapest category tickets ESTC members will have access to will be in the upper tiers.  This information will be confirmed after the draw.
  
  
• Payment details: Supporters will need to enter their payment information at the point of application.
  
  
• Individual applications: All applications are individual only, meaning each member will have to apply independently for tickets.  However, there will be the option to link your order to other members so you can be seated together, provided you are all successful in the same category.  Further information on how to apply with Junior members will be detailed before the FIFA application phase opens.
  
  
• Editing applications: FIFA will not permit application changes on a match-by-match basis. If you need to amend your application, you will need to cancel it entirely and submit a new one.
   
• Ballot process: Once the final application window closes on Tuesday 13 January 2026, ESTC will conduct a ballot and share the results with FIFA to confirm all successful applicants for matches up to and including the final.
  
  
• How the Ballot will be conducted: For each match that is oversubscribed, we will conduct a ballot based on the ‘70/20/10’ rule outlined in section 6.3 here. The top 70% of supporters who apply for a match, based on their caps, will be successful for the lowest category ticket possible based on how they applied.  This is where the guidance we offer becomes important.  To see a previous example on how we provided this kind of information for the last World Cup, click here.
  
  
• Payment timeline: Payments for successful applications are expected to be taken by FIFA between Monday 9 February and Sunday 22 February 2026.  Payment will be taken for all Group Stage and Conditional Knock-Out Stage matches.  Should England not qualify for a Knock-Out Stage fixture that you have a ticket for, you will be refunded by FIFA after the tournament (subject to a TBD FIFA refund fee).
  
  
• All-or-nothing payments: Payment will be taken by FIFA for all matches you are successful for.  It will be an “all or nothing” process, so please only apply for matches you are happy to pay for.
  
  
• Ticket Resales:  We do not anticipate members being able to resell tickets that are purchased in the official ESTC section. However, we are working with FIFA to achieve a member to member resale option similar to what was available to members during the UEFA EURO 2024 Tournament in Germany.

All of the above remains subject to change, and we are committed to sharing clear, timely information as soon as it becomes available.