The United States is less than 80 days away from hosting part of theFIFA 2026 World Cup, including some of the most watched matches in the world.
Eight of these matches arecoming to Atlantaand Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and for one month this summer, Atlanta will becomeone big fanfestas soccer aficionados from near and far come to celebrate and watch the tournament.
Are you still hoping to attend a match? Here's your last chance to buy tickets.
World Cup 'Last-Minute Sales Phase' starts April 1
Beginning at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday, April 1, the "Last-Minute Sales Phase" of World Cup ticketing will open to the general public. This is the last chance to buy a ticket to a match through an official FIFA channel.
"During this final phase of the FIFA World Cup 2026 ticketing programme, tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to availability. Fans will be able to immediately see the matches and categories for which tickets are available, select specific seats, proceed with the purchase and receive confirmation once payment is completed," according to FIFA. "To select specific seats, fans can choose directly from the seat map option, or they can use the 'Book the best seat' feature. Ticket holders who have bought tickets in previous phases will also be able to see the seats that have been allocated to them via their FIFA account from 1 April."
FIFA will also open the official Resale/Exchange Marketplace starting Thursday, April 2 on their ticketing website so fans who may have bought a ticket in an earlier round and can no longer attend the match can sell their tickets to someone who is trying now to get a spot at a match.
Hospitality packages, for premier and elevated match experiences, are still available online.
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Ticketing will open onFIFA.com/tickets.
Which matches are being held in Atlanta?
Atlanta will be host to eight matches over the month-long tournament, including five group stage matches, one Round of 32 match, one Round of 16 match and a semifinal match.
Monday, June 15 — Spain vs Cabo Verde, Group H
Thursday, June 18 — South Africa vs DEN/MKD/CZE/IRL, Group A
Sunday, June 21 — Spain vs Saudi Arabia, Group H
Wednesday, June 24 — Morocco vs Haiti
Saturday, June 27 — Uzbekistan vs COD/JAM/NCL, Group K
Wednesday, July 1 — Group L winners vs third place from Group E/H/I/J/K
Tuesday, July 7 — Match 86 winners vs Match 88 winners
Wednesday, July 15 — tournament semifinal, teams TBD
World Cup officials said there could be as many as 1 billion people watching the semifinal game in Atlanta, tuning in not only to the match but also the FanFest, stadium and overall experience in the Peach State. Atlanta previously hosted the Super Bowl, but World Cup officials said they expect that match to be four times bigger.
At least two of the matches will include Spain, a tournament favorite led by Lamine Yamal at just 18 years old. Yamal plays for FC Barcelona as a right midfielder.
He is considered one of the best players in the world, and he will be hitting the pitch with his teammates on June 15 and June 21 in the group stage. There is also a chance they will play in Atlanta in the tournament semifinal on July 15. The eyes of the world will be on those matches.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today's Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Final round of World Cup ticket sales start next week. How to get one
