Most World Cup 2030 tickets will be sold through a FIFA ballot, and most fans who apply will miss out. Learn exactly how the ballot works, what improves your chances, and what to do if your application fails.

This guide covers how the ballot works, the sales phases after the ballot, how to improve your chances, and what to do if you miss out. Each section explains the topic with concrete examples, so you can use what you learn straight away.

FIFA opens a registration window, usually lasting a few weeks, during which fans create an account and request the matches they want. Applications are not first-come, first-served: everyone who applies inside the window has the same chance, and a random draw decides who gets tickets. If your application succeeds, payment is taken automatically from the card you registered, so it must have enough funds available.

After the ballot, FIFA runs first-come, first-served sales for the tickets that remain, which usually sell out in minutes. A last-minute sales phase opens in the weeks before the tournament, for returned tickets and late allocations. There is also an official resale platform, the only safe place to buy a ticket from another fan.

Apply for less popular matches, such as group games between smaller nations, where demand is far lower than for the big teams. Request the cheapest category, which has the largest allocation and the least competition. Apply as a group with friends, because FIFA allows group applications, but never submit duplicate applications, which can get you banned.

Do not buy from unofficial resellers: most tickets sold outside FIFA are fake, and fake tickets will not get you into the stadium. Check the official resale platform regularly, because tickets appear there as other fans' plans change. Consider the fan zones, which are free and often have a better atmosphere than the worst seats in the stadium.