TravelingForMiles.com may receive commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on TravelingForMiles.com are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. TravelingForMiles.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers.
Other links to products and travel providers on this website will earn Traveling For Miles a commission that helps contribute to the running of the site. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card welcome offers, earning rates and benefits and some credit card benefits will require enrollment. For more details please see the disclosures found at the bottom of every page.
The newly expanded FIFA World Cup returns in 2026 (48 teams this time) with the competition set to be played across North America (Canada, Mexico and the United States) starting in June next year.
According to the latest FIFA press release, tickets for the tournament will start to go on sale from 10 September 2025 (they will be released in phases) when Visa card holders will be among the first to be able to enter a ballot for whatever match tickets FIOFA releases.
Anyone wishing to buy tickets to the FIFA 2026 World Cup (for cash), is advised to visit FIFA.com/tickets to register their interest and to create FIFA ID.
Cash won’t, however, be the only way to purchase tickets for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Qatar Airways has announced that as one of FIFA’s corporate partners, it will be making match tickets available to Privilege Club members (free to join) via its Privilege Club Collection program.
The Privilege Club collection program allows Privilege Club members to bid for various experiences (often access to sporting events) using their Avios balances or, in some cases, to buy access to an experience for a pre-set number of Avios (in the case of the FIFA World Cup, I expect match tickets to be sold via auction).
Qatar Airways hasn’t said when it will be putting its allocation of tickets up for sale/auction, but it has published a new webpage where Privilege Club members can sign up to be notified when more information is made available and when tickets go on sale.
Keep in mind that because you can transfer Avios into the Qatar Airways Privilege Club from other airlines which use Avios as their rewards currency (Finnair, Iberia, Aer Lingus and British Airways), you don’t have to have to be a Qatar Airways frequent flyer to build up a Privilege Club balance that’s large enough to buy (bid for) World Cup tickets.
Also, because all the big programs that use Avios as a currency often run Avios sales, and because all the major US transferable currencies (Amex Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Capital One Rewards) all have a relationship with at least one Avios-using program, there are quite a few ways of generating a healthy Avios balance even if you’re not doing any flying.
Bottom line
Qatar Airways has announced that it will be offering members of its Privilege Club the chance to purchase FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets using Avios instead of cash.
Tickets are not yet available, but anyone who thinks they may wish to participate in the Qatar Airways sale can now register their interest on this webpage.
Featured image courtesy of Qatar Airways
