World Cup 2026 — your questions

Most travellers from the UK, EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and 35+ other Visa Waiver countries need an ESTA, not a visa. ESTA costs about $21 and is approved online in minutes (apply at least 72 hours before travel). Travellers from countries outside the Visa Waiver Program need a B-1/B-2 visitor visa from a US embassy — book the appointment as early as possible, as wait times in 2026 will be long.

Yes. The US ESTA does not cover Canada. Most visa-exempt travellers need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for Canada — it costs CAD $7 and is issued in minutes. US citizens and lawful permanent residents don't need an eTA. If you're crossing the US/Canada land border for a match, carry your passport plus your ESTA approval printout.

Citizens of the UK, EU, US, Canada, Japan and most other developed countries do not need a visa for Mexico for stays under 180 days. You'll fill in an FMM tourist card on arrival (now usually digital). Travellers from countries that need a Mexican visa should apply 4–6 weeks ahead.

Only FIFA's official ticketing portal at FIFA.com sells primary tickets. Sales open in phases — early random-draw windows, then first-come-first-served. Resale tickets are handled through FIFA's official resale platform. We do not sell tickets. Avoid any third-party site that claims guaranteed tickets in advance of the official draw — they are almost always scams.

Hotel prices in host cities have already started rising. The general rule: book your accommodation as soon as you know your group-stage matches (June 2026), and use refundable rates wherever possible because knockout venues won't be confirmed until the group stage finishes. Flights are cheapest 4–6 months out — set fare alerts. Consider staying in a 'shadow city' an hour from the venue (we list one per host on each city page) for major savings.

Flying is the only realistic option for most matches because the venues are spread across 4 time zones. Domestic US flights between host cities are usually $150–$400 one-way during tournament weeks. Trains exist on the US east coast (Amtrak: NYC–Boston–Philadelphia) but not elsewhere. For the Mexico leg, low-cost carriers (Volaris, Viva) are cheap; for cross-border legs, book one-way tickets per country rather than complex multi-city itineraries.

The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026 — peak northern-hemisphere summer. Expect 30–40°C heat in Dallas, Houston, Miami and Monterrey; mild 20–25°C in Vancouver, Toronto and the Bay Area; high humidity on the US east coast; afternoon storms in Florida and Mexico. Every city page on Mundial 26 shows a real 7-day forecast pulled from Open-Meteo so you can pack accurately closer to your match.

Logistically yes, but plan ahead. The fastest US/Mexico border options are flying from Mexico City or Monterrey into Dallas, Houston or LA (4–6h door-to-door including immigration). Land borders are slow on match days. Carry your ESTA approval, hotel bookings and return flight on your phone — US immigration officers will ask.

FIFA usually issues a Fan ID linked to each ticket — it acts as a digital entry credential and, in some past tournaments, sped up immigration. As of 2026 the programme is run through FIFA's official ticketing app. You only get one once you have a ticket; we'll update this page when full details are confirmed.

Use our free Trip Planner — pick your team and we map every group-stage match into an itinerary with travel times between cities, recommended stay-zones an hour from each stadium (to keep hotel costs down), and a rough total budget in USD.