At Super Bowl 58 in 2024, NFL sponsor Visa could discuss how both football and the Olympics helped its strategy for the 2026 World Cup, as if it had all the time in the world.
This week, with less than a year until the first World Cup matches kick off in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, Visa has its eyes on the game clock and is already making big marketing plays.
Tonight at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Reception at the Visa Payments Vault near the company’s offices in Washington, D.C., Visa announced its plans to give its cardholders around the globe exclusive early access to World Cup tickets through its Visa Presale Draw. From September 10-19, Visa cardholders can register for the randomized selection process for the opportunity to purchase tickets before the general public.
Visa cardholders with a Visa Debit, Visa Credit or reloadable Visa prepaid cards are eligible for the draw. Cardholders will need a FIFA ID to participate and are encouraged to visit FIFA.com/tickets to create their ID, if they don’t already have one. Those chosen for tickets will be notified by email starting no earlier than September 30 and given a dedicated time slot in October to purchase available tickets on a first-come, first-served basis.
The early ticket draw is just one of the offerings that Visa will be bringing to cardholders and businesses within the next year as FIFA’s global Official Payment Technology Partner. From teaming up with other brands and organizations to build soccer fields to coming up with activations, programs, and payment strategies across its other sports sponsorships, Visa has spent the last few years learning just how much is required to welcome the world to your brand’s doorstep—or doorsteps, in the case of the World Cup’s host cities.
“These are all cities, but they’re also local communities,” said Kim Lawrence, Visa’s regional president of North America. “These cities are going to be hosting literally millions of people from around the world who are going to be staying in hotels and Airbnbs, dining, shopping, and taking in these big events, so they’ll become part of those communities for a period of time.”