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Aerial Views of Estadio Azteca Ahead of 2026 FIFA World CupGetty Images Sport
Book World Cup 2026 opening match tickets
Rob Norcup

How to get FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match tickets: Mexico City Stadium prices, information & more

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All you need to know about securing tickets to the World Cup 2026 opener

Estadio Azteca in Mexico City hosts the opening match of the World Cup on June 11.

Let GOAL take you through all the latest information for the opening match of the World Cup 2026, including how to get your hands on a ticket, how much it will cost, and more.

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When is the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match?

DateMatchLocationTickets
Thursday, June 11Group A: Mexico vs South AfricaEstadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico Tickets

How to buy FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match tickets

As of today, the major official World Cup ticket lotteries (including the Visa Presale, Early Ticket Draw, and the post-draw Random Selection Draw) have officially concluded.

With over 500 million requests processed during those phases, primary availability is now at an all-time low.

Here's what you need to know at a glance:

  • The Last-Minute Sales Phase is currently live, having launched on April 1. Unlike previous rounds, this is not a lottery. Tickets are being sold on a strictly first-come, first-served basis with immediate confirmation. This represents the final opportunity to purchase official tickets directly from FIFA.
  • The Official FIFA Resale Marketplace is also open. This platform is now the primary authorized destination for fans to buy and sell verified tickets at regulated prices as the tournament approaches.
  • Alternatively, fans may look to secondary marketplaces like StubHub for last-minute tickets. Remember to check the T&Cs of any secondary sites for tickets you're buying.

Can you get FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match resale tickets?

If you are looking for an official and secure way to resell/exchange your FIFA World Cup 26 tickets, the FIFA Resale/Exchange Marketplace is the official channel for doing so. The Marketplace opened on October 2 and be accessed via FIFA.com/tickets.

The FIFA Resale Marketplace is available to Canadian, American and international residents, while the FIFA Exchange Marketplace (Mercado de Intercambio de la FIFA) is intended for residents of Mexico.

One key point for resale buyers: availability can be very limited, and tickets may appear sporadically. Fans hoping to secure resale tickets should check the platform frequently, act quickly when tickets appear, and have payment details ready in advance.

Secondary marketplaces such as StubHub, will also have World Cup 2026 opening match ticket availability. Ticket prices on secondary platforms are subject to availability and demand.

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How much are FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match tickets?

FIFA previously announced that with dynamic pricing in place, tickets for some group matches may start from as low as $60. However, those matches involving tournament hosts, like the tournament opener, were always going to be substantially more, as a result of increased demand. Prices will fluctuate throughout the various ticket releases/sales phases, but seats for the opening encounter at the Estadio Azteca originally ranged from $370-$1825.

Ticket prices for the World Cup 2026 Final vary by seating category as follows:

  • Category 1: The most expensive, located in the lower seating tier.
  • Category 2: Spans both upper and lower tiers outside Category 1 areas.
  • Category 3: Mainly in the upper tier, beyond Categories 1 and 2.
  • Category 4: The most affordable, located in the upper tier outside the other categories.

Where is the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match held?

Estadio Azteca (officially known as Estadio Banorte for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium located in Coyoacan, Mexico City. It's been the regular home ground of Liga MX team, Club America, as well as the Mexico national team, since opening in 1966. With a capacity of 87,523, it is the largest stadium in Latin America and the eighth-largest association football stadium in the world.

The Azteca famously staged both the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals and although it won't be hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026 finale, it will make history in the summer, becoming the only stadium to stages matches at three different World Cups. Following recent renovations, the stadium is set to reopen in March, three months before the opening game of FIFA World Cup 2026.

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Frequently asked questions

Supporters have a number of opportunities to purchase World Cup 2026 opening match tickets, via the ticket portal on the FIFA site, between now and the big day in June. The various sales phases differ in terms of purchasing processes, payment methods and ticket products.

To buy tickets, you must visit the official FIFA ticketing portal and register for an account. You can then log in to your FIFA account and check out ticket availability.

If you are looking for an official and secure way to resell/exchange your FIFA World Cup 26 tickets, the FIFA Resale/Exchange Marketplace is the official channel for doing so. The Marketplace opened on October 2 and be accessed via FIFA.com/tickets.
Third-party resellers, such as StubHub, will also have World Cup 2026 opening match ticket availability.

The World Cup 2026 finals draw will take place at 12pm ET on Friday, December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

The 48 teams will be divided into four pots of 12. Pot 1 will consist of the three hosts and the top nine teams in the FIFA World Rankings not including the hosts. Pots 2, 3, and 4 will consist of the remaining teams according to the world rankings. The 12 groups will randomly be formed by selecting one team from each of the four pots. Two teams from the same confederation cannot be placed into the same group, with the exception of UEFA teams, where up to two teams can be in the same group.

The three host nations have been pre-allocated to three groups for scheduling purposes. Mexico has been placed in Group A and will play the opening match of the tournament on June 11. Canada and the United States have been placed in Groups B and D, respectively. They will play the third and fourth matches of the tournament, which both take place on June 12.

The four winners of the UEFA playoffs and the two winners of the inter-confederation playoffs will not be known at the time of the draw, as these matches are scheduled to take place in March 2026.

Securing seats at FIFA World Cup matches can be difficult with millions of fans desperate to get their hands on tickets. This is where FIFA’s Right-To-Buy (RTB) option can come in handy. An RTB is an official FIFA allocation for FIFA Collect users that secures them an opportunity to purchase a ticket to a FIFA World Cup 26 match.

Think of an RTB token as a paid reservation. You’re not buying the ticket itself. You’re buying the right to buy that ticket at full price during a dedicated window, meaning no lottery, no virtual queues, no guessing games. If you hold an RTB token and act within your purchase window, you’re guaranteed to get tickets.

Users enter FIFA Collect (collect.fifa.com) and buy packs of collectibles with RTB opportunities included. RTB owners have been able to pay and receive their FIFA World Cup 26 tickets during the Conversion Window which opened on November 13.

FIFA will be using dynamic pricing during World Cup 2026 ticket sales. Dynamic pricing is a system where ticket prices are adjusted in real-time based on supply and demand, similar to airline or hotel pricing. It means seats will tend to vary in price match-to-match. The goal of dynamic pricing is to give fans fair and safe access to tickets, that are as close to market value as possible.
As the system is based on demand, the price of tickets does not always increase. We saw this with the FIFA Club World Cup earlier this year, where tickets for some of the knockout games, including the semi-final between Chelsea and Fluminense, were available from as low as $13.

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