BY Nadia Ntiamoah
FIFA has officially opened the media accreditation process for the FIFA World Cup 2026, marking a key milestone in preparations for the tournament to be hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The application window opened on January 26, 2026, and will close on March 31, 2026, with FIFA warning that demand is expected to be exceptionally high.
In an advisory issued to media organisations worldwide, FIFA confirmed that accreditation for the tournament will be managed exclusively through the FIFA Media Hub.
The global football governing body stated that a structured, quota-based system will apply, reflecting the scale of interest surrounding the expanded World Cup, which will feature 48 teams for the first time in history.
Media accreditation is open to a wide range of professionals, including written press from print and digital platforms, photographers, international and national news agencies, and a limited number of radio and television non-rights holders.
Rights-holding broadcasters, officially referred to as FIFA Media Partners, will have their accreditation handled directly by FIFA’s Media Partnerships team, which is already in contact with those organisations regarding procedures and requirements.
FIFA stressed that all applicants must possess an approved personal FIFA Media Hub account, noting that accounts are individual and must not be shared.
Submissions outside the Media Hub platform will not be accepted under any circumstances.
For written press and photographers, accreditation will be administered through FIFA Member Associations, each of which has been allocated a limited quota.
These quotas are determined by factors including a country’s previous participation in World Cups and its qualification status for the 2026 tournament.
Member Associations are responsible for distributing accreditation control keys to recognised media organisations and freelance journalists, who are required to apply through their national associations.
Radio and television non-rights holders will follow a different process.
FIFA clarified that these organisations will be able to apply without a control key; however, the number of accreditations available to them will be extremely limited.
Matchday access policies for non-rights holders are also yet to be fully defined. FIFA has directed enquiries related to non-rights holder accreditation to its dedicated email channel.
Media professionals based in the host countries — Canada, Mexico and the United States — will go through an application process coordinated directly by FIFA. Further guidance for these applicants is available on the FIFA Media Hub.
FIFA also highlighted that accreditation approval does not automatically grant access to matches. While accredited media will have access to stadium media centres, entry to specific matchday areas such as press tribunes, photographer positions, press conferences and mixed zones will require separate media tickets.
These tickets must be applied for via the FIFA Media Hub or FIFA Media App and will only be available to accredited applicants. Initially, media ticket requests will be limited to group-stage matches, with a maximum of one match per day per applicant.
All accreditation applications will be subject to mandatory security checks, with confirmation notices expected to be issued from March 2026 onwards.
On travel logistics, FIFA urged media representatives to begin visa applications as early as possible, stressing that visa processes are independent of accreditation approvals.
Applicants do not need to wait for accreditation confirmation before initiating visa procedures, and FIFA has made visa guidelines available to assist media planning.
FIFA advised media organisations and journalists to regularly consult the FIFA Media Hub for official updates, detailed procedures and frequently asked questions as the tournament approaches.
