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As of April 1, FIFA moved into what it calls the “Last-Minute Sales Phase,” offering fans a final chance to buy tickets. Those entering the system are told that a countdown will begin “within a few minutes,” allowing them to proceed to purchase.
In practice, however, waiting times stretch to at least four hours. Even those who stay in the queue eventually reach the sales page only to find that tickets are either unavailable or limited to scattered matches with very few remaining seats.
This gap between expectation and reality has become a central source of frustration, particularly for fans trying to attend matches involving Türkiye.
The rush intensified immediately after Türkiye secured qualification for the 2026 tournament following the Türkiye–Kosovo match on March 31. Turkish supporters, especially those based in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, quickly began searching for tickets to follow the national team in person.
However, many encountered what they described as an unexpected barrier: despite hours of waiting, tickets for Türkiye matches were largely unavailable.
As a result, early excitement has been replaced by widespread disappointment, with fans sharing their experiences across social media platforms.
On April 2, FIFA opened a resale and exchange platform, allowing fans to purchase tickets from other holders. Yet this option mirrors the same issues seen in the main sales phase, including long waiting times and limited availability.
Prices on the resale market have also surged. For example, the USA–Paraguay match scheduled for June 12 in Los Angeles currently shows only one remaining category priced at $2,735.
Some fans report that even when they find relatively lower prices, these can change abruptly during the purchase process. One supporter said a ticket initially listed at around $400 increased to nearly $2,000 upon checkout, prompting them to abandon the purchase.
In other cases, buyers reach the payment stage only to be informed that the ticket is no longer available.
Another pathway to tickets exists through allocations reserved for fans of participating national teams. FIFA designates these as “PMA Late Qualifier Supporters” tickets, referring to fans of teams that qualified at a later stage through play-offs or qualifiers. Access to these tickets typically requires a special code distributed by each country’s football federation.
For Türkiye, responsibility for distributing this allocation lies with the Turkish Football Federation. However, access is tied to a paid membership system, with applicants required to become “red members” for ₺1,000 (over $25).
As of now, there has been no clear rollout of how these tickets will be distributed, adding to uncertainty among supporters.
Across both official sales and resale channels, fans describe a cycle of repeated attempts, waiting for hours, checking availability, and encountering either sold-out messages or sharply increased prices.
While the tournament is set to begin on June 11 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, many Türkiye supporters remain unable to secure tickets, despite sustained efforts over multiple days.
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