FIFA World Cup tickets: Visa presale launch stalls as fans hit errors and hour-long queues

Queues, crashes, and a scramble for the 2026 World Cup

What was supposed to be a routine opening to a ticket lottery turned into a stress test. Minutes after the first 2026 FIFA World Cup presale window opened for Visa cardholders at 11 a.m. ET on September 10, fans found themselves stuck in virtual waiting rooms that stretched from half an hour to well past an hour. Many who made it through the queue, filled out their details, and hit submit were bounced back by terse error screens—“HTTP Status 400 – Bad Request” for some, a “bad gateway” message for others. By late afternoon, social feeds had become a running log of failed attempts.

This initial window is the first of at least four sales stages and is open until September 19 at 11 a.m. ET. It’s a lottery, not a race, which means applying on day one should carry the same odds as applying on day nine. That didn’t stop the early rush, and the rush exposed the fragility of the setup: single sign-on handoffs between FIFA IDs, payment verification, and the queue token system all groaned under demand.

A portion of fans did break through the maze. They verified their FIFA accounts, entered Visa card details, chose their preferences, and successfully submitted entries. Relief turned into celebration posts. The split-screen reality—some people sliding through, others looping through errors—made the process feel random, even though the draw itself hasn’t happened yet.

The frustration wasn’t subtle. One user described repeating the process on phone and laptop, across different browsers and accounts, only to hit the same failure after another hour-long wait. That experience was common: wait, fill out forms, submit, error. The pattern suggests more than simple overload. A 400 error points to a malformed request—often a session token or cookie mismatch—while a bad gateway usually flags a hiccup between services that sit behind the site. In plain English: the system struggled to keep sessions intact while juggling massive traffic.

FIFA’s message hasn’t changed: be patient. There’s no advantage for early applicants in a random draw. But the urge to “lock it in” is strong when we’re talking about the most sought-after tickets in sports. Even with roughly one million tickets in this Visa-only phase, the pool shrinks fast when you factor in hospitality packages, team allocations, sponsor holds, and stadium capacity limits.

Once the window closes, FIFA says it will scrub bot entries before running the lottery. Those picked will get assigned time slots to buy starting October 1. If you’re selected, you can purchase up to four tickets per game for as many as 10 matches, subject to availability. Prices range sharply: early group-stage seats start at $60, while top-tier seats for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey reach $6,730.

For anyone wondering how demand could topple a ticket portal: look at the numbers from past cycles. In the first round for Qatar 2022, FIFA received tens of millions of ticket requests. That was for a 32-team tournament in a single country. The 2026 edition expands to 48 teams and spans the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Interest isn’t just higher—it’s more distributed, with fans chasing games in their own cities and countries in addition to marquee matchups.

There’s also the brand partnership factor. A Visa-only presale is common in sports and concerts, but it adds friction. Some fans had the wrong card type. Others used cards blocked for online international payments. A few had 3-D Secure (two-step verification) time out mid-process as the site flipped through login pages. Each extra layer is another chance for an error when the servers are jammed.

Despite the rough start, the key thing to remember is this: the lottery doesn’t reward speed. If you haven’t applied yet, you haven’t missed your shot. And the window widens soon.

What happens next, how to avoid errors, and what to expect on prices and phases

The path from lottery to a seat in a stadium is a series of gates, each with its own rules and deadlines. Here’s the timeline, plus practical steps to calm the chaos.

First, the current Visa presale runs until September 19. After it closes, FIFA will remove suspicious entries before drawing names. Selected applicants will receive purchase time slots that begin October 1. You won’t be buying during the application window; you’ll pay during your allotted slot if you win the draw.

Second, the next window—called the Early Ticket Draw—is expected in late October (registration tentatively between October 27–31). This phase mirrors the first but without the Visa requirement, opening the field to anyone with a FIFA account and a valid payment method. Purchase windows for that phase should land from mid-November into early December.

Third, after the December 5 draw that locks in groups and the schedule, a Random Selection Draw will let fans target specific matches. Want Game X in City Y? That’s when you can aim. Later, closer to kickoff, FIFA plans first-come, first-served drops and an official resale platform. That marketplace will be the safe route to resell or buy at face value, within local laws.

All of this is happening against the backdrop of a massive, three-country event. The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams and more matches than any previous edition. Host cities include Atlanta, Boston/Foxborough, Dallas/Arlington, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles/Inglewood, Miami, New York/New Jersey/East Rutherford, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area/Santa Clara, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. The distances are huge. Travel costs will be, too.

Now, about those errors. Here’s why they’re happening—and how to reduce your odds of getting one:

• Stick to one device and one browser session when you apply. Jumping between tabs or devices can invalidate tokens that prove your session is legitimate.
• Turn off VPNs and aggressive ad blockers. Security layers can flag you as “suspicious traffic,” especially during high-load moments.
• Log into your FIFA account before joining the queue. If the site flips you to a login during checkout, the handoff can break.
• Use a stable network. Mobile-to-Wi-Fi switches mid-application often trigger a “bad request.”
• Have your Visa card ready with 3-D Secure enabled and funds cleared. If your bank texts you a code, respond quickly; timeouts can break the flow.
• If you get a 400 or bad gateway error, don’t hammer refresh. Back out, clear site cookies for the ticket domain only, restart the browser, and re-enter through the official queue.
• Double-check billing address, name, and card expiration. Small mismatches can trigger declines or error loops that look like site failures.
• Screenshot your application confirmation page and save any reference number you see. If emails lag or land in spam, you’ll have proof of submission.

Even if you do everything right, heavy traffic can still knock you out. That’s the reality of high-demand launches. The good news: because it’s a lottery, a perfect day-one submission and a day-eight submission are treated the same when the draw runs.

On pricing, here’s what we know from this phase. Group-stage tickets start at $60. Prices climb through knockouts and peak at the final. The top tier for the final at MetLife Stadium sits at $6,730 in this presale. Expect large differences by seat category. Corners and upper deck are cheaper; midfield and club-level prices soar. Some seats may be labeled “restricted view.” Those are cheaper for a reason—rails, overhangs, camera platforms, or stadium geometry can block sight lines.

Buying rules matter, too. The headline limit—up to four tickets per match for as many as 10 games—sounds generous, but inventory per match is tight. You’re not guaranteed adjacent seats, especially in late stages. If you’re planning a family trip, build in flexibility.

Accessibility seating will be available at each venue, typically with one companion seat. If you need wheelchair or easy-access spots, select those categories during application. These areas can sell out quickly because they’re limited and regulated.

Payment quirks are worth a quick check. If your card is set up to block international or high-value online purchases, call your bank before your purchase slot opens. Some banks auto-flag large tournament charges as fraud. Also, watch for spending caps on debit cards; they can be lower than your account balance would suggest.

Let’s talk fairness. A Visa-only presale cuts out fans without access to that card. FIFA counters that this is just one of several phases, with a near-identical non-Visa round next. That’s cold comfort if you burned hours in a queue that ended in a crash, but it does mean you’ll get another chance soon. Historically, major tournaments run multiple draws and several last-minute drops as stadium plans finalize.

Scams always follow events like this. There is no such thing as a “guaranteed draw selection” from a stranger online. Ignore anyone selling screenshots, QR codes, or “priority codes” for the lottery. The only safe channels are the official application, the purchase window if you’re selected, and the official resale platform once it opens. Anything else risks your money and your identity.

What about bots? FIFA says it will scrub automated entries before running the draw. The tools are familiar: rate limits, device fingerprinting, traffic pattern analysis, and manual review of suspicious clusters. These tools help, but no system is perfect. That’s why the resale platform exists—to pull sales back into a controlled space instead of letting scalpers run wild on secondary markets.

There’s another side to the World Cup operation that quietly opened with the ticket rush: volunteers. FIFA is recruiting around 65,000 volunteers across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Roles include wayfinding, accreditation, media support, training venues, and language services. Volunteers aren’t paid, but they get uniforms and on-the-ground experience. Applications are open through September, and competition will be stiff in major cities.

Travel planning starts now, even if you don’t have tickets yet. Hotel prices spike when schedules are set. Some fans book refundable rooms near likely host sites and dates, then adjust once they know where their team will play. With a tri-nation tournament, flight prices can swing wildly. Mexico City to Toronto is a long haul, and group games won’t cluster neatly for every team.

Fans should set expectations on notifications. If you apply, you’ll get an email confirmation. If you’re selected, your email will include a purchase window with a date and time. Add those addresses to your contacts to avoid spam filters. When your slot opens, you’ll see your ticket options and total price, then pay. You won’t get to hold tickets indefinitely; the clock will tick down in-cart. Have your card and backup card ready.

Once you buy, delivery will likely be digital, through an official app, closer to match day. Names on tickets and ID checks can vary by venue and match, but expect some form of verification at entry, especially for knockouts and the final. Resale and name changes will go through the official platform to keep barcodes valid and track fraud.

If you’re still stuck on the technical side, here’s a practical checklist before trying again during the application window:

• Log out of your FIFA account everywhere, then log in on a single device.
• Clear cookies for the ticketing site only; don’t nuke your whole browser unless you must.
• Disable VPN and heavy privacy extensions for this session.
• Use a wired connection or solid Wi-Fi; avoid toggling between data and Wi-Fi mid-application.
• Confirm your Visa card is enabled for online and international transactions, with 3-D Secure set up.
• Fill out your FIFA profile ahead of time so you’re not typing under pressure.
• Keep your phone nearby for bank verification texts or app prompts.
• Take screenshots of error codes. If support opens a channel later, details help.

One more bit of context on the virtual waiting room: it isn’t purely first-come. Many systems randomize position or use cookies to “hold” your place. When traffic spikes, the site may throttle sessions. If your cookie gets out of sync or expires, your form can fail on submit with a 400 error. It feels like the site punished you for waiting, but it’s the session collapsing under load. That’s why staying on one device and avoiding multiple tabs can help.

It’s also worth noting the scale of the stadiums in play. NFL venues like AT&T Stadium in Arlington, MetLife in East Rutherford, and SoFi in Inglewood can seat 70,000-plus for soccer configurations, sometimes more with temporary seating. Big stadiums don’t guarantee easy tickets. When global demand pours into a handful of early windows, even a million-seat phase evaporates quickly once you add holds and allocations.

And then there’s the match calendar. Group-stage tickets are the entry point for many families because they’re cheaper and more plentiful. But they’re also where local demand spikes. A group game in Seattle or Toronto that features a regional favorite will draw enormous interest. By knockout rounds, demand becomes global—people travel for those.

If you’re aiming for the final, you already know the drill: it’s the hardest ticket in sports. You’ll pay a premium if you land one in this lottery. If you don’t, the official resale platform and late releases are your next opportunities. Don’t chase “instant transfers” from social media accounts. That’s where heartbreak happens.

For now, the best move is simple: submit your application once the site is stable, make sure your details are clean, and keep your expectations steady. The draw doesn’t care what hour you clicked, only that you’re in the pool. More windows are coming, and match-specific options will open when the December 5 draw lays out the bracket and schedule.

The world’s biggest sporting event comes with world-class demand. The launch proved that yet again. Whether you were one of the lucky few who slipped through today, or one of the many who watched a 400 error eat an hour of your life, the process is only getting started. The smart play now is patience, preparation, and a plan for each phase of the chase for FIFA World Cup tickets.