Final World Cup ticketing phase is first-come, first-served

Fans looking for one last opportunity to get tickets to this summer's FIFA World Cup in North America will get their chance on April 1.

And that's no joke.

FIFA announced Wednesday that a fourth and final phase of ticket sales will take place starting at 11 a.m. ET on April 1 and will remain open through the end of the tournament.

Tickets in the "Last-Minute Sales Phase" will be available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis through FIFA's official ticketing website, where fans will be able to select specific seats for various available matches or use a "book the best seat" feature.

Availability of seats could change frequently as tickets will be released on a rolling basis, including some same-day tickets for matches, according to FIFA.

FIFA's official resale and exchange platform will reopen on April 2. Initially open from October 2025 through Feb. 22, this marketplace is intended to prevent unauthorized or invalid ticket sales as demand for tickets continues to be high, with FIFA reporting that the all-time attendance record of 3.5 million -- set during the 1994 World Cup -- is expected to be surpassed this summer.

The announcement comes just a day after European soccer fans lodged a formal complaint over the high cost of the tickets, arguing that ticket prices are significantly higher than at any previous World Cup. Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 start at $4,185 -- seven times the cost of the cheapest ticket at the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.

The 48-team World Cup opens on June 11, with matches taking place across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

--Field Level Media