World Cup ticket ballot set to open - here's all you need to know

The main ticket ballot for next summer's World Cup in North America opens on Thursday.

It's the first opportunity for fans to secure tickets since the draw was made and the full match schedule announced last week.

Fifa's pricing model has been criticised, with Football Supporters Europe warning of "record high prices" and "huge financial risks" to follow their teams.

From an earlier phase, the price of tickets ranged from £45 to £5,915.

So what do we know about the tournament's controversial ticketing operation - and how can you secure tickets?

From 16:00 GMT on Thursday, fans can apply for tickets on Fifa's website, external for the matches of their choice.

Each household can request up to four tickets per match and a maximum of 40 across the tournament.

The application window runs until 13 January 2026. There is no advantage to applying early - all fixtures remain available throughout the entire period.

Once the window closes, Fifa will run a lottery to decide which applications are successful.

Fans will be notified by email in February and, if they have been allocated tickets, will be charged automatically.

Dynamic pricing - or "variable pricing" as Fifa calls it - will be used in some phases of World Cup ticket sales.

However, the governing body has confirmed that it will not apply during the main ballot. The price you see at the start of the window will be the same at the end.

Prices will still be set based on expected demand for each fixture, with high-profile games likely to cost more.

For now, Fifa hasn't published any official price lists. It is expected people will know the price of tickets they ballot for on Thursday when it opens.

At present, the best guide we have comes from fans who tracked prices during the earlier sale phase.

Fifa has promoted Category 4 tickets as "an accessible entry point to the tournament".

But their stadium maps suggest the amount of Category 4 seating is extremely limited, and Football Supporters Europe said "their very existence is still subject to caution".

In most venues, the bulk of the seating appears to fall into the more expensive Category 1 and 2 sections.

Each participating nation receives 8% of the tickets for its matches to distribute to its own supporters.

For England and Scotland, these will be made available to members of the England Supporters Travel Club, external and the Scotland Supporters Club, external. Both groups will receive an email with an access code for a Fifa portal, where they can apply from 15 December to 13 January.

These tickets are allocated via a ballot weighted towards members with the highest loyalty points.

Prices are likely to be in line with the main ballot, but FA allocation tickets cannot be resold.

Allocations for teams that progress through the play-offs are expected be released after those ties are completed in March.

Fifa has created its own official platform where fans can resell tickets bought through other phases of the ticketing process.

Sellers can list at whatever price they choose, and Fifa takes a 15% fee from both the seller and the buyer.

Fifa says these fees are "aligned with North American industry trends across various sports" and insists all revenue will be "reinvested to fuel the growth of the game".

It has also warned supporters against using unofficial resale sites, saying tickets bought elsewhere "may be subject to cancellation without notice".

On the unofficial secondary market, the cheapest tickets for England and Scotland's group games are already listed at more than £450.

Fans looking for guaranteed tickets - and not concerned about cost - can opt for official hospitality packages, external.

These typically cost thousands of pounds and include premium seating, lounge access and upmarket dining.

The most exclusive option is Platinum Access. Pricing for this tier is only available on request and details are sparse, although promotional material does feature an image of a private jet.

Closer to the tournament, any remaining ticket inventory will be released on a first-come, first-served basis, operating much like a standard online ticket sale.

This phase is expected to utilise dynamic or variable pricing, though unlike other industries, Fifa will manually alter prices based on demand rather than using an algorithm.

"Your ticket is not a visa," said United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month.

Indeed, simply being a ticket holder does not guarantee entry to any of the host countries, Canada, Mexico or the US.

Fans planning to travel to the US should apply for either the Visa Waiver Programme (commonly known as an ESTA) or a Visitor Visa (B1/B2), external depending on their nationality. UK citizens are normally eligible for an ESTA.

Canada requires most visitors to obtain a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), external, while Mexico offers visa-free entry to many nationalities, external, including UK travellers.

US embassies are giving priority appointments to World Cup ticket holders but are still encouraging fans to apply as soon as possible.

It is unclear how ticket holders from countries whose citizens are mostly banned from travelling to the US will fare.

Several members of the Iranian delegation were refused entry to the country for the World Cup draw last week.