FIFA’s World Cup ticket limits explained
USAT’s Safid Deen breaks down how many World Cup tickets can be purchased at face value for soccer fans.
Sports Pulse
Verizon wants to help you score tickets to the FIFA World Cup.
Demand is expected to be high for the soccer competition to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada – more than 4.5 million people have already signed up through the FIFA World Cup Visa Presale Draw. The 2026 World Cup begins in Mexico City on June 11 and ends at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.
Some lucky Verizon customers have the chance to win freebies because the telecom giant is giving away “thousands of free tickets to the games” starting Thursday, Oct. 2, the company announced in a news release on Monday, Sept. 29.
The tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in the My Verizon app in the Verizon Access section, where the cellular and broadband provider gives away tickets to concerts and other events – and has even handed out NFL tickets in the past. One note: you must be a Verizon customer.
“Our customers are very passionate about soccer and we’re passionate about giving our customers the most incredible access to the things they love,” Verizon Chief Marketing Officer Leslie Berland told USA TODAY.
Coming in November: A sweepstakes giving hundreds of customers the chance to win “Golden Tickets” granting them on-field pitchside viewing access during the tournament. “So there are about 200 people who get (Golden Tickets with) free tickets to the match … (and) we bring them down to the pitch to watch part of the game,” Berland said.
Winners will also get to experience meet and greet sessions with stars such as David Beckham, former USMNT goalkeeper and NBC Sports analyst Tim Howard, current USWNT players (and sisters) Alyssa and Gisele Thompson (Alyssa plays for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League; Gisele for Angel City FC of the NWSL), Hirving “Chucky” Lozano (San Diego FC), and former Argentine and Manchester City star Sergio “Kun” Agüero.
“For me, there are few things as exciting as experiencing football live, whether that’s on or off the pitch, and so I am proud to partner with Verizon to celebrate their plans to give fans unprecedented access to the tournament,” said Beckham in the news release. The soccer legend will be featured in Verizon’s World Cup marketing campaign proclaiming that “no one gets you closer” to the action than Verizon.
How to win 2026 FIFA World Cup tickets from Verizon
Verizon customers will want to begin checking the Verizon myAccess section of the My Verizon app starting Thursday, Oct. 2, at 9 a.m. ET. Between now and the tournament, additional free World Cup ticket drops will announced in the app and at Verizon.com/Access and on Verizon’s social handles, the company says. Hint: follow the company’s accounts on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X and Facebook.
More information about the Golden Tickets giveaway will be forthcoming, but chances to win will come through social media, retail and other mediums, according to Berland.
Contributing: Safid Deen/ USA TODAY
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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