Soccer fever sets in as superfans vie for 2026 World Cup presale tickets

Larry Zima is throwing his hat in the ring for a chance to enter the pre-sale draw for 2026 World Cup tickets. (Galen McDougall/CTV News Edmonton)

Larry Zima wants to win the lottery.

Not for millions of dollars, but for FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets. Or at least for the chance to try to buy them early.

“Right now, it’s just kind of a hope,” the soccer fanatic said.

Wednesday marks the first day of Visa registration for pre-sale. People around the world will scramble to get their chance to purchase tickets come October.

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Zima is part of The Voyageurs, a group of dedicated Canadian soccer fans that first popped up in 1996 in Edmonton.

Only four tickets are allowed per buyer, and most don’t get to choose what they’re actually buying at this stage, Zima explained.

This means if you make it past the first Visa draw, he said, you’re not guaranteed a certain match.

The Voyageurs have an in, too – making it slightly easier to get ahold of tickets – but Zima said that doesn’t mean much when they’re so high in demand in Canada.

The initial Visa pre-sale draw is expected to involve one million tickets.

“It’s Canada’s first time on home soil,” Zima explained. “The soccer community in Canada is growing strong, and they’re behind the team.”

The 2026 World Cup will have 48 teams co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

While the full tournament landscape won’t be known until the Dec. 5 draw in Washington, D.C., there are three guaranteed Canadian games already announced in the host site, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Despite fervently making their case, Edmonton lost its bid to host the 2026 World Cup mid-June.

Next year’s games begin July 11 and are set to finish July 19.

Fans in the pre-sale can apply for generic single-match tickets, venue-specific tickets or team-specific tickets.

Zima has previously been in Qatar for the last Men’s World Cup and the Women’s World Cup in Australia in 2023.

“You’ve got to be committed,” he said. “It’s fun to support the team. I’ve travelled all over the place … (to) places I would never think of going if it wasn’t for the sport.”

Zima said the connection to the sport is also tied to the friendships he’s made and the city itself.

“Edmonton used to be the home of Canadian soccer … we’ve seen some really good teams play here,” he said.

Zima said he already won the lottery once for his Qatar tickets.

“So I’m hoping lightning strikes twice, because I want to go.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Galen McDougall