The final batch of World Cup tickets is about to go on sale. Here are 5 things to know FIFA is kicking off its last sales for World Cup tickets on Wednesday. From prices to why FOMO is working against you, here's what you need to know. A fan holds a banner asking for a ticket outside the stadium prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium in Lusail City, Qatar, on Dec. 18, 2022.Tickets for high-profile games or popular teams such as Argentina and Portugal, are likely to be hard to get – but it won't be that difficult to score seats for every match. And ticketing experts say don't let FOMO — fear of missing out — or FIFA's hard-sell marketing get the best of you. Take a deep breath.will start at 11 a.m. EST Wednesday. The window will remain open until the tournament starts, but big games, such as the June 27 match-up between Colombia and Portugal in Miami, are expected to sell out quickly.That's if they are even available at all. FIFA has not specifically said tickets to all 104 tournament matches will be available.There is no standard ticket cost and FIFA is notoriously opaque about its pricing system, much to the frustration of World Cup fans. As in previous sale windows, fans won't know how much tickets will be until they log in. This year, FIFA also instituted a dynamic pricing policy, a first for the World Cup. For example, in the initial release last year for final match tickets, the least expensive seat cost $2,790. During its last sales window, prices jumped 50% to $4,185. But dynamic pricing can work both ways — and not every game has increased in price. A number of games saw prices decline, including all five games to be held at the beginning of the tournament in San Francisco, such as Austria versus Jordan or Qatar vs Switzerland, according to checks of prices verified by NPR.The prices FIFA is charging for the 2026 World Cup are dramatically higher than in any previous tournament. When the tournament was held in Qatar in 2022, the most expensive tickets for the final were about $1,600 per seat. For this tournament so far, the highest priced ticket costs nearly $9,000."The extreme high demand for World Cup tickets should not be a green light for price gouging at the expense of the people who make the World Cup the most-watched sporting event in the world," the lawmakers wrote.Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, speaks during the official draw for the 2026 World Cup at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025. FIFA and Infantino have faced strong criticism about the ticket prices for the tournament.The complaint cites what it calls FIFA's"exorbitant prices for tickets," its lack of transparency on prices and its"pressure selling tactics" intended to spark a fear of missing out among fans. "By creating artificial urgency, FIFA pressured fans into making rushed decisions," the groups cite in their complaint. A FIFA spokesperson said the organization had not yet formally received the complaint and therefore couldn't comment — but defended its sales practices. "FIFA is focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing and prospective fans," the spokesperson said."As a not-for-profit organization, the revenue FIFA generates from the World Cup is reinvested to fuel the growth of the game — men, women, youth — throughout FIFA's 211 member associations globally."Using urgency to sell things is a common tactic, but those who follow the ticket industry say FIFA's marketing has been particularly aggressive. This year, FIFA also is not disclosing how many tickets it's selling or how many it has left to sell. So far, FIFA has only acknowledged it has over 6 million tickets to sell in the 2026 World Cup — and has sold more than 3 million tickets so far, not including premium tickets that provide food and drinks. FIFA says it can't be more specific because it has yet to decide on ticket allocations to groups such as sponsors or soccer officials around the world."One way in which FIFA can rack up the highest possible ticket prices is if they can create a belief that these tickets are incredibly scarce and that they are going to be really hard to get hold of," he said."And one way they seem to be trying to do that is just to keep you in the dark so that you don't know."Lionel Messi lifts the World Cup trophy after Argentina defeated France in the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Lusail Stadium in Lusail City, Qatar, on Dec. 18, 2022that tracks prices across resale platforms such as StubHub, said he can't recall another event with such murkiness around the ticket sales process. "I feel more in the dark regarding what the situation is in terms of the remaining inventory with the World Cup than pretty much any other big event in recent memory," said Pagello, a 15-year veteran of the ticketing industry.The World Cup is more than 70 days away, and in each of its previous tournaments FIFA has continued to drop tickets for games beyond its last sales window even after the matches have started. Fans should check FIFA's ticketing website regularly. This year's World Cup is the biggest ever, with 104 games held across three countries, and despite the lack of clarity from FIFA, there should still be a sizable number of tickets left to sell.Pagello, who has tracked ticket prices for multiple high profile events, offers basic advice for fans. "In the ticketing industry, we have this phrase we like to throw around. 'It's called: It pays to wait,'" he said."I don't want to throw out a specific number," he said,"but more often than not, it pays to wait, meaning the prices go down."San Diego MTS granted $60.4 million by state rail capital program KPBS keeps you informed with local stories you need to know about — with no paywall. Our news is free for everyone because people like you help fund it.