How to get tickets to World Cup 2026 matches in Philadelphia

Tickets to the 2026 World Cup are among the most coveted tickets in sports. Buying them, therefore, is both confusing and costly in any host city. Philadelphia is no exception.

Aside from a very small amount of $60 tickets offered in the upper deck of Lincoln Financial Field, prices in November ranged from $155 (for some upper-deck tickets in the group stage) to $760 (for lower- and second-level tickets to the Round of 16 match on July 4).

And that’s if you win the opportunity to buy via an official ticket lottery. Otherwise, your best bets are the resale market or a “last-minute” sales phase for tickets leftover after multiple lottery phases have ended.

The following is a guide to getting tickets to the six World Cup games in Philadelphia.

How to get 2026 World Cup tickets in Philadelphia

World Cup tickets aren’t sold by stadiums or local teams. They’re sold by FIFA, the global soccer governing body in charge of the World Cup, via a multiphase process.

That means there are multiple avenues to tickets:

The December-January lottery: Your next chance to buy tickets directly from FIFA is a “Random Selection Draw” that will open on Dec. 11 — a week after the Dec. 5 World Cup draw, when most of the 48 teams will be sorted into groups and assigned locations, dates and opponents. Between Dec. 11 and Jan. 13, you can go to FIFA’s ticketing website, sign up for a “FIFA ID,” enter the draw, and apply for tickets to specific matches. FIFA will then randomly select a minority of applicants, grant them some or all of the tickets they requested, and charge them the listed price in February.
The resale market: With two lottery phases already completed, and nearly 2 million tickets already sold, plenty are available on the secondary market. You can buy on FIFA’s official resale platform, which offers certainty that the ticket you’re buying is legitimate. You could also go to popular resale sites like StubHub, which are less trustworthy but easier to navigate — and currently offering lower prices.
Buy at the ‘last minute’: If you’ve missed out on lotteries, there will be a final “first-come-first-served” phase, or a “last-minute sales” phase, in the spring. Any ticket not sold in the lottery phases will go on sale to the general public, just as it would for most other American sporting events. It’s unclear whether FIFA will reserve some tickets for this phase or simply offer leftovers.
Hospitality: Hospitality packages, which include match tickets, are on sale to the general public. Prices at Lincoln Financial Field range from $1,525 for the “FIFA Pavilion” offering at group games to $5,400 for a “pitchside lounge” seat at the Round of 16 match.
Country allocations: If you’re a fan of a specific team playing in Phil, you could try to go through that country’s soccer federation. FIFA will allocate thousands of tickets per match to the two participating nations. Their national federations — e.g. U.S. Soccer or the English Football Association (FA) — then help sell and distribute some of those tickets via separate processes. You can go to FIFA’s website for these tickets starting Dec. 11, but each federation sets its own eligibility criteria and distribution process, according to FIFA.
How much do World Cup tickets in Philadelphia cost?

After some prices jumped in November, tickets to the games at Lincoln Financial Field cost:

Group Stage

Cat 1 $445
Cat 2 $335-385
Cat 3 $155
Cat 4 $60-75

Round of 16

Cat 4 $760
Cat 2 $560
Cat 3 $290
Cat 4 $185

Given FIFA’s use of dynamic pricing those prices, however, are “variable,” have already changed, and will almost certainly change some more once matchups are revealed. Those involving popular teams will cost more.

What are the ticket categories at ‘Philadelphia Stadium’?

Rather than selling specific seats in specific rows and sections, FIFA sells tickets in categories, then assigns you a seat at a later date.

If you buy a Category 1 ticket at “Philadelphia Stadium,” for example, you could be placed anywhere in a section colored yellow on the map below.

The red sections correspond to Category 2. The blue sections are Category 3. The tiny green slivers in the top of sections 231, 219, 239, and 207, are the scarce Category 4 tickets.

What is ‘Philadelphia Stadium’?

For commercial reasons, FIFA won’t let Lincoln Financial Field call itself its usual name at the World Cup. But “Philadelphia Stadium” is, in fact, the venue known to most American sports fans as Lincoln Financial Field, where the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles play.

Can I buy tickets for all six games in Philadelphia?

In the first lottery phase, if selected, you could buy a venue-specific package that included tickets to a majority of the World Cup matches at Philadelphia Stadium.

In the upcoming third phase, though, those packages won’t be offered, a FIFA spokesman told The Athletic. You’ll have to buy tickets match by match.

Can I get tickets through the Philadelphia Eagles or Philadelphia Union?

No. FIFA controls all ticket sales. Spokespeople for NFL teams, MLS clubs and local World Cup host committees all told The Athletic that FIFA hasn’t granted them the ability to offer any special access.

How can I watch the World Cup in Philadelphia if I can’t get tickets?

Philadelphia’s FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill Park will be free and open to the public. The five-week festival is in the historic section of Fairmount Park, formerly a 19th century estate, and will feature watch parties, food and beverage offerings on match days. On non-match days, the venue will offer ticketed concert experiences. The party in the city will coincide with the 250th birthday of the United States of America, with celebrations taking place throughout the city.