Circular 1954 Media accreditation for the FIFA World Cup 2026

TO THE MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS OF FIFA

Circular no. 1954

Zurich, 16 January 2026

Media accreditation for the FIFA World Cup 2026 ™

Dear Sir or Madam,

FIFA is pleased to announce that the media accreditation process for the FIFA World Cup 2026 ™ will be handled via the online FIFA Media Hub .

The attached document provides guidance regarding the media accreditation process for next year’s tournament. We kindly ask your Member Association, in particular the media officer, to take note of the information therein and to coordinate the accreditatio n procedure in your country/territory. We recommend that your association work closely with the relevant sports journalists’ association or professional organisation in an effort to ensure an equitable distribution of the accreditation quota (for journalis ts and photographers) allocated to your association. The allocation of accreditation passes to media organisations based in the host countries (Canada, Mexico and the United States) will be managed by FIFA in conjunction with the FIFA Member Associations that govern the game in the host countries.

In the coming weeks, your association will be notified of its allocated quota and will receive further details regarding the media accreditation process. The quota will be based on previous editions of the FIFA World Cup ™ and whether your association’s national team qualify for this year’s event. Additional quotas will be allocated to the associations that qualify for the tournament in the coming months.

Should you have any queries about the above, please do not hesitate to Anne Pannicke, Media Services Manager at mediaquota@fifa.org .

We thank you for your cooperation.

Yours faithfully,

FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

Mattias Grafström Secretary General

Fédération Internationale de Football Association www.FIFA.com Encl.: - Media Accreditation for the FIFA World Cup 2026 ™, Tips and Guidelines

cc: - FIFA Council
- Confederations
- Media and Communications Committee
- Men’s National Team Competitions Committee

2 Media Accreditation for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Tips and Guidelines

January 2026/Version 3.0 Introduction Interest in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ is already running high among media representatives. FIFA is receiving many enquiries regarding the accreditation procedure and the associated timelines. Given the expected demand, which is set to significantly exceed supply, a transparent and fair media accreditation process will be implemented.

The media accreditation application window for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is expected to open in early January and will close on 28 February 2026.

In order to access and submit the online accreditation application form, media representatives must have:

1. an approved FIFA Media Hub account; and

2. a unique accreditation control key issued by their FIFA Member Association, in accordance with the instructions given below.

FIFA Media Hub Having a FIFA Media Hub account is a prerequisite to access both the media accreditation form and the media ticketing system.

• Access is restricted to registered users with a user ID and password.

• Media representatives with an existing account may update their profile and apply directly.

• New users can register via the FIFA Media Hub registration page.

NB: The accreditation control key is not the same as the login credentials for the FIFA Media Hub.

Accreditation management Accreditation for written press and photographers will be managed exclusively online. Only media representatives with a valid Media Hub account and control key will be able to access and complete the FIFA World Cup 2026 accreditation form.

Being assigned an accreditation control key does not mean that an accreditation request has been approved. FIFA reserves the right to review, validate and, if relevant, reject any media accreditation requests.

Each FIFA Member Association will be allocated a quota of press and photographer accreditation passes. Quotas will be based on both the FIFA Member Association’s participation in previous editions of the FIFA World Cup™ and its qualification status for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

FIFA will provide its Member Associations with detailed instructions, including in relation to the quota allocation and the control key distribution procedure, in the near future.

Media Accreditation for the FIFA World Cup 2026™: Tips and Guidelines 1 Distribution and allocation Each FIFA Member Association is encouraged to work with its national sports journalists’ association or the relevant professional organisation in the country/territory with a view to ensuring an equitable distribution of the allocated quota.

The FIFA Member Association’s media department will be responsible for:

• registering the allocation in the Quota Management System; and

• distributing control keys to designated media organisations, freelance journalists and photographers.

The allocation of accreditation passes to media organisations based in the host countries (Canada, Mexico and the United States) will be managed by FIFA in conjunction with the FIFA Member Associations that govern the game in the host countries.

FIFA will formally communicate, via the FIFA Media Hub, the applicable procedures for media organisations based in the three host countries to submit accreditation requests, along with the designated points of contact.

Accreditation categories a) Written press (digital or print)

Press representatives who write for newspapers, magazines and other printed publications must apply for accreditation to their FIFA Member Association via their publication. The FIFA Member Associations will be provided with accreditation information separately. Correspondents working for foreign newspapers in Canada, Mexico or the United States must submit their accreditation request to FIFA, with the designated points of contact to be communicated via the FIFA Media Hub.

b) Photographers

Photographers must submit their applications to their FIFA Member Association, following the same procedure as the written press. The FIFA Member Associations will be provided with accreditation information separately.

c) International news and photo agencies

FIFA will be responsible for the accreditation of representatives from the following international news and photo agencies: AFP, Agencia EFE, AP, dpa, EPA Images, Getty Images, Jiji Press, Kyodo News, Press Association, Reuters and Xinhua.

Other national news and photo agencies must apply for accreditation through their FIFA Member Association.

Media Accreditation for the FIFA World Cup 2026™: Tips and Guidelines 2 d) Freelance media representatives

Freelance media representatives must submit their applications to their FIFA Member Association, following the same procedure as the written press. The FIFA Member Associations will be provided with accreditation information separately.

Canadian, Mexican and US freelance media representatives must submit their accreditation request to FIFA, with the designated points of contact to be communicated via the FIFA Media Hub.

FIFA Event Media Operations & Services (contact form) will be responsible for the accreditation process for international freelance journalists and photographers living and working in a foreign country/territory.

e) Radio and television non-rights holders

Non-rights holders (NRHs) are radio and television companies that do not have broadcasting rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026. NRHs will be able to apply for media accreditation without a control key. We wish to stress that the number of NRH accreditations will be very limited and that the matchday access policies are still to be defined. For any questions regarding the accreditation of NRHs, please contact nrh@fifa.org.

f) FIFA Media Partners (radio, television, mobile and internet rights holders)

FIFA Media Partnerships will be responsible for the accreditation process for FIFA Media Partners (rights-holding TV and radio stations). The FIFA Media Partnerships Relations & Services team is in regular contact with the FIFA Media Partners and will inform them directly about the accreditation procedure and other accreditation-related matters.

Completion of form and deadlines Media representatives who have been assigned a control key by their FIFA Member Association will be able to access the media accreditation form via the FIFA Media Hub. They must have an approved Media Hub account to access the accreditation form. Media representatives who have not yet obtained a Media Hub account are strongly encouraged to do so at the earliest opportunity. Visit the FIFA Media Hub and click on “Login” to access the registration form.

The closing date for accreditation applications is 28 February 2026. All applicants will be subject to a security check carried out by the national authorities.

As from the end of February 2026, FIFA will begin the process of sending accreditation confirmations, followed by further information in due course. Media representatives are encouraged to visit the Media Hub and FAQ page on a regular basis for information on media services.

Media tickets The online media ticket application process to request tickets for group-stage matches will commence shortly after the launch of the media accreditation process. Ticket requests will be handled exclusively through the FIFA Media Hub or FIFA Media App. Only media representatives who

Media Accreditation for the FIFA World Cup 2026™: Tips and Guidelines 3 have already submitted a media accreditation form will be able to request tickets for one match per day from the list of group-stage matches. Approvals will be subject to availability.

Visas Although FIFA is not directly involved in the visa process, accredited media representatives will receive comprehensive visa guidance along with their accreditation confirmation, helping to make their travel arrangements as smooth as possible. FIFA strongly recommends that all media representatives submit their visa applications as soon as possible. To ensure sufficient time for visa-processing and related formalities, FIFA Member Associations are kindly requested to commence the allocation and distribution of their media quotas at the earliest opportunity. Early allocation will enable media representatives to secure consulate/embassy appointments, obtain supporting documents, finalise travel and accommodation arrangements and meet any other administrative requirements in good time.

FIFA Member Associations: account requirements In order to access the Quota Management System, an approved FIFA Media Hub account is required.

Designation of quota managers

Each FIFA Member Association is asked to write to mediaquota@fifa.org with the Media Hub user ID of the person or people who will be responsible for assigning and distributing the media accreditation quotas.

If the designated person/people does/do not yet have a personal Media Hub account, the registration form is available at media.fifa.com/registration. Please contact mediaquota@fifa.org once the designated representative has submitted a Media Hub registration request.

Individual approval and prohibition of sharing

Each Media Hub account is approved on an individual basis and access should not be shared. Please attach a staff identification card, business card or other official document with the registration form to help FIFA verify the application.

Due to the large number of registration applications that we are receiving, please provide FIFA with the name and email address linked to the registration application so that it can be found and approved without delay.

FIFA Event Media Operations & Services and FIFA Media Relations

January 2026

Media Accreditation for the FIFA World Cup 2026™: Tips and Guidelines 4