By Kazeem Ajibola Shoyebo
Days after Gianni Infantino asserted that every match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup was “sold out,” FIFA quietly launched a new sales effort offering tickets to at least 64 of the tournament’s 104 games, a move that has raised fresh questions about the real demand for matches next summer.
In mid-February, Infantino repeatedly described the 2026 tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, as having unprecedented ticket demand and insisted that “every match is sold out,” citing more than 508 million ticket requests during FIFA’s lottery sales phases. However, in recent days a number of fans received “unexpected” emails from FIFA offering an additional purchase window for tickets to many matches that appeared unsold or under-sold after the initial random-draw phases.
The emails, which lacked clear timing details before being updated, signalled that FIFA was releasing inventory to fans who had previously been unsuccessful in ticket lotteries. The additional windows, effectively a mid-season sale, were offering tickets for roughly two-thirds of the tournament fixtures, suggesting that demand has not fully absorbed all available seats for those games despite Infantino’s sold-out messaging.
Ticket experts told The Athletic this does not imply a lack of interest in the World Cup overall, but does point to pricing and market segmentation affecting who is actually buying seats. Jim McCarthy, a ticketing industry veteran, said high ticket prices may have deterred some buyers for less-high-profile fixtures even in markets with strong soccer followings.
Many of the games released in this unexpected window were Category 1 and 2 tickets, the most expensive seats, for matchups not involving marquee teams, and some did not sell as quickly as FIFA might have projected during the lottery phases**. This supports the view that a sizeable portion of demand so far has been concentrated on high-profile group games and later-stage matches, rather than across the entire 104-match schedule.
A notable case has been the USMNT’s opening match in Los Angeles. Unlike many marquee fixtures that quickly drew interest and high ticket demand, reports from fan sources indicate that higher-priced seats for the U.S. opener have remained available while cheaper categories sold out earlier, a trend analysts say reflects consumer sensitivity to pricing rather than weak demand overall.
FIFA has not publicly explained the mechanics behind the surprise sales windows, but, according to a report, a federation spokesperson said the additional inventory became available “following the conclusion of the Random Selection Draw” and was being offered to fans who had originally missed out.
Despite the confusion, and mounting fan criticism over complex pricing and limited transparency, most experts still expect that the 2026 World Cup will ultimately reach high attendance figures given its scale, expanded 48-team format and multiple host markets across three countries.
What this episode does highlight is a disconnect between headline figures touted by FIFA, like “sold out” and record ticket requests, and the on-the-ground realities of ticket sales, particularly around pricing strategy, inventory allocation and consumer appetite for different matches.
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