Going to North America '26: tickets, accommodations, etc. (non-politics)

The match I am looking at is of the "low" variety (M25), so more so debating if I want Cat 2 if I go, which isn't too terrible compared on the resale market compared to the face value. But, Cat 3 is insane in comparison on the resale site to the face value. My fear with Cat 3 is I am going to get the crap Cat 3 seats and people that buy them later on will get the Cat 3 seats that are really Cat 1 if Ireland doesn't win the playoff.

 

I think you'll be fine getting a ticket, at what price and Cat is dependent of course. I would think FIFA would do the UEFA trick and keep the "Prime" seats in each category for the late comers, but others probably have a better idea on all that

I wish you luck however you approach it!

 

Thanks! Yeah, I could see them doing that for sure. If Ireland wasn't in this playoff, I would be less concerned about tickets later on for this match. I figure it will be a Scotland-level demand if they make it.

 

A big part of the assumption is locals wont take the day off to check off a life long dream of being at a world cup. A bucket list item for just about every latino man. And there's millions of them in every host city. We'll see what happens.

 

I'm in a similar situation with the "low' matches in san Francisco which is pretty much all of them at this point. I'm applying for Cat 3 tickets at $140 because I'm guessing that due to low interest and people not wanting to pay $450 for these games, they will move all Cat 3 seats into the Cat 2 and maybe even Cat 1 categories. So $140 will actually get you a $450 or $380 seat. That is based on the assumption that FIFA will want to sell out all tickets, will not want to show an empty stadium in the lower sections and more importantly that my rich neighbors who know nothing or don't care about soccer but have their hands full of greenbacks, that these people will not want to attend such games. I'm honestly more concerned about the latter, i.e. wealthy people - in Silicon Valley standards which is pretty much any engineer or equivalent at Facebook, Google, Apple, etc... - who usually go to or watch baseball, american football, basketball, golf or cricket matches - or are not interested in sports -, and decide to shell out their disposable income to "check-in" on their social media sites and say they went to a World Cup game. Unfortunately, if these people decide to go, then we're doomed. My only hope is that since FIFA reduced the prices for the games in San Francisco by up to 35% that they know that the "wealthy" will not attend any game unless Ronaldo or Messi are playing... they could have had Messi with Argentina play in San Francisco but decided otherwise. So still hoping to get reasonably priced tickets ($140) to a lively Turkey vs Paraguay or a dull Switzerland vs Qatar

 

Thanks for the heads up regarding the application codes being in the USA Insider profile! I was waiting for an email and I would have waited forever! However, according to my level (VIP Insider) I should be able to have "three entries". But when I try to use another email for a second entry, it says the code has been already used (which I have, once). Does anyone know the process for doing the multiple entries with the one code for the different levels of USA Soccer Insiders?

 

I think it means they'll be 3 of your application numbers when they run the selection query. You dont need to do anything else. The system will add 2 more before they run it.

 

If it is anything like the Euros, your tickets that you win in the ongoing lottery are going to get assigned though before they potentially get desperate and move Cat 3 to Cat 1 or Cat 2. That's my main fear.

 

Hypothetical question (especially for seasoned WC fans), if the final match features 2 European countries, is there a possibility that we see tickets sold at FV by that time? Or the final match of the WC will always be a premium experience regardless of who play there.

 

Only match I see lowering prices is Belgium vs Croatia. But the World Cup final in NY is a premium match experience. Too much corporate demand to crash prices. It’s like the Super Bowl.

 

I don't think there is any realistic chance of there being two European teams that make the final that will cause FIFA to lower prices.

The other issue is what is even face value any more? With the prices shifting constantly, I think the actual face value of them will be lost in the shuffle. I don't even know if the tickets I have already bought for the GS are really face value because I predict at least one of them to have prices that will fall eventually.

 

Yup agree with this - to me 'face value' will be what shows up for FCFS because at that point they'll know what did/didn't move in the lottery phase and adjust the prices accordingly.

 

For fans passing thru or based in the ny/nj area - there are going to be at least two fanfest and current plan is both will charge a ticket to get in

https://nynjfwc26.com/fan-festival/

One will be daily at liberty park in nj and the other in queens ny at the us open tennis center for the group matches. Looking at the current schedule for the first 1-2 weeks neither are planning to show all the late matches.

And as someone living in NY I can tell you there is a lot of interest in World Cup summers every four years. Two European teams will not deter interest. ManUtd vs West Ham drew 82k after the club world cup at MetLife last summer. There are millions of footy fans in the area, they just dont all watch the same league.

 

Do u guys here think the conditional supporter tickets would b easy to let go of? Im a Croatian in Toronto.. and that round of 32 could very much be us.. but the chance it isnt…. Not down to go to atlanta or elsewhere. Or is it better and wait until a few days before the game?

 

Croatia vs Portugal/Colombia! Worth the risk reward for me! But If they win the group; M80 is Wednesday at noon. You may have to take a slight loss or break even. I'd take that bet any day.

 

We will be in New York for a week doing all the tourist stuff after the group stage. Looking at a few standard type hotels (Holiday Inn etc) in the Hoboken/Newport neighbourhoods as prices in Manhattan are simply insane for the 5 of us. Is Liberty Park walking distance from there (along the river??) For those that know are these areas safe especially at night, do they have good food options & public transport, is it easy getting to Met Life as have r32 there?

 

I think your coassification is correct. I hope you are right on success rates as I am only applying for low and average matches. I think I will get all my requests as I have gone for Cat 1 but might change some of them to Cat 2.
A big problem is that the stadia, apart from the NE of the US, are so far apart. I already have a ticket for a match in Kansas. The day before is a match in San Francisco. Is an average/low game that i reckon i would get a ticket for, but I am not bothering with the pogistics of finding.my way to KC after that. Easier to go to LA f9r the day earlier, so I have a two day gap.
Another problem is that I will only deal with the FIFA resale site as that is a guaranteed ticket. Even if prices do fall, and I think they will for some matches, the resale fee will take some of the saving. (In another sense that will deter the scalpers - which is a good thing).
I know there are other means to buy resale tickets but they are not gauranteed and a refund from someone who doesnt fulfil is no use if I have flown halfway around the world.
Hoping for a fall.is good if you are already in the city in question or.if the fall is so great they are practically giving tickets away. A possible boon for locals - noone else.
Taking a step back, i can only see the speculative applications from amateur and professional scalpers being in the 'premium' matches.

 

Of course 2 European teams could meet in the Final.

 

Hoboken and Newport are good areas to stay, there are plenty of bars and restaurants. Hoboken has more night life than newport. These areas are safe at night but as with any location in the NY Metro area please still be cautious.

They both have decent public transportation options: there are ferries to Manhattan, PATH train that goes to Manhattan and NJ Transit has the buses and trains to the stadium, nyc and other points in NJ so you can check if your hotel is walkable to nearby transit stations on Google Maps. I think there are local buses that can take you to liberty state park.

 

Easy to get to Liberty State Park by light rail. They are safe and have good food options. Good public transport by light rail and buses also if needed uber (and easy to get to Manhattan by Path train or ferry). To get to matches you can take train from Hoboken (switch in Secaucus Junction and it will leave you directly in front of stadium).

 

I think what @LaParka710 meant was that there are no two European teams that could realistically meet in the final, that would cause final prices to drop. Theoretically, the final could be North Macedonia vs. Albania, but that's not realistic. Of the euro vs euro finals that are reasonably possible, none of them will be of such low interest as to cause final prices to drop. At least, that was my interpretation.

 

Exactly what I meant. Two teams like England, France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain could all make the final together, but they are popular enough that prices will stay as is or go higher. Sure, it is theoretically possible that Belgium and Austria could meet in the final and ticket prices drop, but the odds of those two teams making the final are so incredibly small.

 

Have any of you guys sold a ticket which you didn’t I originally buy? I bought a couple of tickets with a friends account, then I transferred them to me, but finally sold them in FIFA platform. In the Q&A section says that FIFA would contact me in these cases to arrange the refund method. But did anybody already went through this? Thanks

 

And even if they do drop how much can they realistically drop with $3k being the cheapest ticket sold. I'm sure no one is going to sell for a $1k loss

 

Just noticed a change in the application process. Both a friend and I have applied for 2x conditional FA-tickets to R16 (Germany). Depending on whether they finish the group first or second, they’d play on 4 July in Philly (M89) or 5 July in NY/NJ (M91). So either way we’d like to go to both of these matches. So we had also applied for 2x tickets for each of M89 and M91 in the general draw to increase chances to get tickets to both. Now I canceled my German FA application to make an unrelated change. When I then selected R16 again I was told I couldn’t because of other selections I made… Then canceled my general application also, and after that it allowed me to apply for Germany’s R16. But then when I tried to make the general application for M89 and M91 again, both were blocked for me. So this was definitely possible at some point as I had both applications for 2x tickets each submitted, but now it’s no longer possible. Did anyone else notice that? (I recommend you don’t try it out if you can avoid it…. )

Though what I’m wondering now, what will they do with old applications where this was still allowed? Will they remain valid if not canceled? Or do they get kicked out?!?