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Assuming I am not misinterpreting any of the information online, this is an exciting find. Looking at On Location’s website it appears Single Match Hospitality Tickets will go on sale after-all for 2026, a reversal from what was previously stated regarding single match tickets in their FAQ.

Set your clocks for next week to check out the pricing levels.

Here’s the Hospitality sales schedule listed on the website:

Series Package Purchasers:

Those who already bought a Series package: Presale starts July 8 at 10am ET.

Priority Access Depositors

All presale windows close July 13 at 11:59pm ET.

All Others

🚨🚨Purchase window opens July 14 at 10am ET.

Review it all at the official website from FIFA / On Location.

Again this is for HOSPITALITY tickets only.

On Location specified “Host nation team matches – Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. – are not available as Single-Match offerings. To access host nation team matches, consider a Venue Series offering.”

It also looks like there’s slightly different packages available via “Official Agents” that are not available on the general website from FIFA/On Location. Official Agents/Partners are listed on this site.

Essentially, if you want to get in touch regarding an official hospitality package outside of the packages listed on the general site, contact someone in the relevant host city area from the list. This would include:

The last international window, which seems like ages ago, saw a few more teams officially punch their tickets to 2026. The tournament welcomes Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Brazil, Ecuador and Australia!

This is a lengthy edition so going to include a visual of qualification and will post the region summary when we continue in the next window.

First, I can’t remember a recent tournament that wasn’t under duress in the lead-up. The LA Times wrote an extensive article recapping some internal concerns, from the US perspective at least. See a summary below:

As discussed previously, wait times for tourist visas are extensive and don’t have a very positive outlook for some countries like Colombia where wait times have topped a year. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department announced plans to close 10 embassies and 17 consulates and reduce its workforce by 3,400. It could be a perfect storm of demand meeting reduced capacity.

One can only hope that something will be done to escalate the process for fans with tickets but the lack of specifics one year out doesn’t breed confidence.

Plus, The Athletic wrote “multiple sources within the U.S. Department of State previously told The Athletic there are also concerns a “non-insignificant” number of people who legitimately acquire tickets for the tournament will be refused visas. This is because the stringent vetting process for entry means possession of a World Cup ticket does not guarantee you are allowed into the country.”

One fan commented that reports of German tourists being detained "for weeks" at U.S. airports has led him to consider flying to Canada. Germany even updated its official travel advisory to the US for its citizens. A Berlin government employee who attended the last two World Cups said "the general events and U.S. politics put me off. I think it would be better for me not to travel to the USA".

Trump's travel ban directly contradicts FIFA president Infantino's earlier promise that "all the fans" are welcome as it bars people from 12 countries including Iran, which has already qualified for the World Cup. There’s supposedly exceptions allowing athletes and coaches but not fans? (for now?)

FIFA may also consider alternatives for Iran during the draw, which is not unprecedented. Some suggest one option is Iran could be placed in Pot A as it is the only pot guaranteed to play its entire group in Mexico (and also Mexico’s group); however, this doesn’t really accomplish much as 3 teams from a group could potentially qualify for the knockouts and may have to play in the US anyways.

Again, you can read the full article here.

The Club World Cup is offering a glimpse into the summer heat that fans should be prepared to encounter when traveling in 2026. In Miami, fans were literally collapsing in 95F (35C) degree heat outside Hard Rock Stadium. Desperate fans pleaded with security to open locked gates for relief. Across the east coast, temperatures in Boston, Philadelphia and New York breached 100F (38C) for multiple days.

While record-breaking heat may not occur, it will absolutely get incredibly hot at some point in almost every host city across North America. Some players like Atlético Madrid’s Marcos Llorente may be a bit exaggerated when he said: "It's impossible, it's terribly hot. My toes were sore, my toenails were hurting, I couldn't stop and start. … It's unbelievable." And almost comically, Borussia Dortmund let their subs watch the match from the cooled down locker room because of 87F (30C). At least Harry Kane realizes that this is part of the game.

Indoor Stadiums

Of the 16 World Cup stadiums, five have roofs and only 3 are fully enclosed and climate controlled (Houston, Dallas & Atlanta). The remaining venues are subject to the unpredictable heat, thunderstorms, etc. It shouldn’t deter someone from visiting certain cities and experiencing matches but more of a heads up to be prepared.

At the same time, if you are looking to experience a match comfortably, you’d be hard to argue against Atlanta as a destination given its transit & incredible stadium. In fact, I offered some specifics of an argument about Atlanta being a solid choice as a base in this article.

Can Matches Be Played At Night?

Many fans have clamored for more sensical kickoff times as a 3pm kickoff in summer heat may not be ideal. For reasons one can imagine and likely understand, FIFA prioritizes TV viewers over whether or not fans and players are comfortable, scheduling games in the afternoon to optimize a global audience’s schedule. Evidence of this can be see in 2025’s Club World Cup kickoff times after witnessing several heat scares in the 2024 Copa America (e.g. an assistant referee collapsing mid-match, etc).

In reality, the heat will make it uncomfortable but it is nothing unprecedented for a World Cup.

With the format of 2026 being 12 groups of 4, all 12 groups will see the Top 2 teams progress to the knockout stages but only 8 of the 12 third place teams will progress (to a brand new stage, Round of 32). It’s an odd format but 3rd place teams last qualified in the 1994 World Cup and then the format changed to an even 32 teams in 1998 where it remained until 2026.

Anyways, below is a screenshot from FIFA’s official “Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 26™ “ on how the 8 best 3rd place teams are determined.

I had the opportunity to attend a Club World Cup match at Atlanta’s stadium in the VIP tier of Hospitality and I definitely didn’t turn it down. As mentioned above about the weather, I personally appreciated the added bonus of watching the match in a climate controlled environment.

If Hospitality is your cup of tea, Atlanta’s stadium is 💯. I imagine many of the modern and renovated stadiums in 2026 will be a very pleasant Hospitality experience. I posted a brief reel on Instagram that showcased the VIP tier of Hospitality for a Club World Cup Match in Atlanta.

Sadly, Miami made the news for all the wrong reasons in 2024 with Copa America.

As a key venue for 2026 and a massive tourist city, one may have expected immaculate organization for 2025. Instead, Felipe Cardenas wrote a damning report on fans’ experiences at the stadium for the Club World Cup. Numerous fans, including older adults with health concerns, found themselves walking for an hour upon deparature to find an obscure, off-campus lot for ride sharing apps. Once they made it, some discovered that their rides back to a nearby hotel cost more than a ticket to the match. Others were refused rides by drivers who didn’t want to go in the direction needed.

Give the article a read but if there’s a lesson to be learned here:

Please review your routes to and from stadiums and expect long delays. If you’re attending a World Cup match for the first time but in a stadium you visit frequently, you’ll want to arrive with an added buffer for extra security layers performed by personnel that are not used to doing so.

Is this unique to Miami or 2026? Absolutely not. That said, unexpected lengthy delays for seemingly no reason can really sour an experience. You’re almost guaranteed to have delays somewhere, at some time. Here’s some notable personal examples at World Cups off top of my head:

For Miami specifically, their website lists the obscure off-campus lot for ride-sharing apps to be a 25 minute walk. Sprinkle in some unfamiliarity, poor communication and tens of thousands of people and you can see how this could possibly scale to concerning levels for mid-afternoon heat or late-night crime opportunists.

An optimistic twist: With some preparation and slight shift in mindset to assume the journey may be long and uncomfortable, maybe you leave with a memory that ages like fine wine. For example, I now reflect fondly about the time I witnessed Barcelona vs Real Madrid in Barcelona and accidentally walked all the way back to my hotel in the city center, arriving at 3:30am, because the metro was closed and I didn’t have a backup plan, map or data plan (it was a different time).

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