Kansas City’s World Cup ticket scramble starts now: dates, rules, and a game plan
Kansas City is bracing for a crush of soccer fans next summer—local planners expect more than 650,000 people—to watch six FIFA World Cup 26 matches in the city. The hunt for seats starts this week, and it’s not a simple queue. FIFA is rolling out a multi-phase lottery that opens with a Visa-only draw, followed by more lottery rounds and, later, a first-come sale for whatever is left.
The first window, called the Visa Presale Draw, opens Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, at 10 a.m. CT (11 a.m. ET). Anyone 18 or older who holds a Visa card can enter for a chance to buy. The entry window stays open until Friday, Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. CT. Starting Sept. 29, FIFA will email selected entrants with a specific date and time to log in and purchase. Sales for winners begin Oct. 1. If you’re picked, you’ll have a defined slot to shop—but a slot is not a guarantee that tickets will still be available when your turn arrives.
This first draw covers all 104 tournament matches, including Kansas City’s six. That’s good news if you’re flexible and willing to chase inventory wherever it pops up. FIFA recommends creating a FIFA ID now so you can register quickly and avoid fumbling with passwords when the clock starts. The official FIFA ticket portal is the only place you should use to register, enter draws, and purchase.
After the Visa window, FIFA will keep the process moving in waves. A second “early ticket draw” is expected to run Oct. 27–31, with assigned purchase slots from mid-November into early December. A third “random selection draw” will kick off after the final draw of the tournament schedule, which is set for Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C. As the event approaches in 2026, FIFA will release remaining seats on a first-come, first-served basis. Those drops tend to vanish fast, so set alerts and be ready to click when they go live.
If you want premium treatment, hospitality packages tied to Kansas City matches are already on sale, starting at $1,400. These packages typically bundle better seating with lounge access and upgraded food and beverage. They’re separate from standard public ticketing and often have their own availability and rules.
Kansas City’s matches will be staged at the city’s NFL venue, which can accommodate well over 70,000 fans. Expect the usual big-event curveballs: heavy traffic around the Truman Sports Complex, tight security screening, and early gate times. If you’re traveling in, the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport is built to handle big crowds, but hotels and short-term rentals will book up quickly around match days. Lock in lodging early if you can.
The World Cup itself is bigger than ever this time: 48 teams instead of 32, spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The opening match is slated for June 11, 2026, in Mexico City. The final is Sunday, July 19. With more teams come more knockout games—there’s now a Round of 32 after the group stage—so there are more chances to see elimination soccer in person.
How to play the ticket lottery smart
Here’s the plain-language version of what FIFA is doing: you’re not entering a lottery to win free seats; you’re entering to win the right to try to buy. If you get a slot, you’ll receive a date and time to log in and purchase. Inventory refreshes as different windows open, but popular matches and categories can sell out within minutes of any window starting.
- Key dates: Visa Presale Draw opens Sept. 10, 2025, 10 a.m. CT; closes Sept. 19, 10 a.m. CT.
- Notifications: Emails begin Sept. 29 to tell you if you got a purchase window.
- Purchases start: Oct. 1 for those assigned early slots.
- Next waves: Early ticket draw (Oct. 27–31) with shopping slots mid-November to early December; random selection draw begins after the Dec. 5 schedule draw in Washington, D.C.
- Later on: First-come, first-served sales for remaining inventory in 2026.
What to do before Sept. 10: set up a FIFA ID, confirm your personal details, and add your payment information. For the first draw you’ll need an eligible Visa card; later phases won’t require Visa-only entry. Check your email filters so you don’t miss a selection notice, and add a backup email if FIFA allows it.
What you can buy in the first phase: seats for any of the 104 matches, including Kansas City, but the specific categories and quantities available during your slot will depend on demand. FIFA usually caps how many tickets one account can buy per match to spread access across fans; expect limits and be ready with a Plan B in case your first choice disappears.
How the slots work: think of it like boarding groups. Your assigned time might fall hours or days after sales open. If your window is late, you’re not out of luck—cancellations and payment timeouts can push seats back into the pool—but you should still expect popular matches to thin out quickly.
A few practical tips to improve your odds:
- Make a short list: pick two or three preferred Kansas City match dates and two backups in other cities. Flexibility helps.
- Know your time zone: all key times are listed in CT for Kansas City. Set alarms.
- Decide your seat category in advance: lower bowl vs. upper tiers. Faster decisions mean fewer cart timeouts.
- Have payment ready: if your Visa card is required, make sure it’s active and cleared for international transactions.
- Use a stable connection: avoid switching devices mid-purchase; that can trigger security checks.
On prices, FIFA had not published a full public price grid for standard tickets at the time this lottery opens. Expect multiple seat categories at different price points plus designated sections for accessibility needs. Hospitality, by contrast, starts at $1,400 in Kansas City and goes up based on package level and match.
Beware of scams. The only legitimate source for 2026 World Cup tickets is FIFA’s official ticketing platform. Don’t send money to sellers on social media or marketplace apps. Later on, FIFA typically launches an official resale platform; until that opens, treat any third-party offer as risky. Mobile tickets are standard—screenshots and PDFs won’t get you through the gate.
If you’re buying for a group, try to purchase in a single transaction. Adjacent seats are never guaranteed, especially in later phases, but booking together gives you the best chance. If accessibility seating is needed, look for those specific options in the portal; those areas are limited and tend to go fast.
Travel planning matters more than usual. Match days will strain parking and rideshare near the stadium. Consider park-and-ride options, build in extra arrival time, and check stadium policies closer to the event for items like bag size and prohibited gear—World Cups typically bring stricter screening than a regular-season game. If you’re flying, compare fares into Kansas City well ahead of time; game-day and weekend spikes are real.
What happens after you buy: you’ll get a purchase confirmation and, later, digital tickets delivered to your account or app. FIFA sometimes staggers the release of barcodes to cut down on fraud; don’t panic if you don’t see scannable codes immediately. Bring a charged phone and a backup way to access your account on match day.
For fans eyeing more than one city, the expanded format offers a dense calendar. The knockout stage now begins with the Round of 32 from June 28 to July 3, followed by the Round of 16 (July 4–7), Quarterfinals (July 9–11), Semifinals (July 14–15), the Third-place match (July 18), and the Final (July 19). If you’re trying to build a travel string, the Dec. 5 schedule draw will unlock the full match map and help you connect dates across host cities.
Bottom line for Kansas City: the first real chance to land seats starts Sept. 10. Enter the draw early, prep your FIFA ID, and pick a clear target list. With six local matches and hundreds of thousands of visitors expected, the faster you move, the better your odds of being in the building when the world’s biggest tournament arrives.