FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the biggest tournament in football history. Hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, it runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026, features 48 teams for the first time, and spreads 104 matches over 16 host cities. Both England and Scotland have qualified, and for Scotland that means a first World Cup since 1998, so plenty of UK supporters will be making the trip. England's group games are spread across three cities British Airways flies to directly: Dallas (against Croatia on 17 June), Boston (Ghana on 23 June) and New York (Panama on 27 June).

It is also one of the most expensive trips on the calendar. Cash fares to the United States have already climbed as kick-off approaches, and they will keep climbing. If you collect Avios, you have a smarter way in. With the right approach, British Airways reward flights can take a serious chunk out of the cost of following your team, freeing up your budget for match tickets, hotels and the odd celebratory pint.

Why Avios could be the smartest way to get to FIFA 2026

When a major event sends fares sky-high, Avios can become disproportionately valuable. Cash prices move with demand, so a London to New York return that costs a few hundred pounds in a quiet week can run into four figures around a World Cup fixture. Reward seat pricing works differently. The number of Avios you need for an off-peak Business Class seat is the same in June 2026 as it is in a quiet month, even when the cash fare beside it has doubled.

You also get Reward Flight Saver, which caps the cash you pay on top of your Avios on most BA reward bookings, so taxes, fees and charges stay predictable. Add a Companion Voucher and you can bring someone along for the Avios cost of a single seat. That is the whole point: when everything else is surging, Avios hold their value.

Which FIFA 2026 host cities can you reach with British Airways?

Eleven of the sixteen host cities are in the United States, and the US carries the heaviest schedule: every quarter-final, both semi-finals, the third-place play-off and the final. New York and New Jersey alone host eight matches, including the final at MetLife Stadium on 19 July. British Airways flies direct from London to most of the big host cities, which makes BA reward seats a realistic way to follow your team.

Matches are also being played in Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey) and Canada (Toronto and Vancouver). You can reach these with Avios too, usually by pairing British Airways with a partner airline for the final leg.

How many Avios will you need to fly to the USA?

Reward seat pricing depends on the cabin you choose and whether your dates fall in a peak or off-peak period. Much of the tournament lands in the school summer holidays, so expect many dates to price at peak, which costs more Avios than the off-peak figures below. British Airways flies direct from London to ten of the eleven US host cities, with Kansas City the only one you would reach on a connecting flight.

Here is a guide to off-peak return prices from London for the US host cities you can reach direct:

These figures are indicative only; exact pricing can vary by route, date, cabin and availability.

Those cash amounts are the taxes, fees and charges that sit on top of your Avios, not a separate fare. A Business Class redemption to New York might feel steep in Avios, but set it against a peak World Cup cash fare and the value can be exceptional. The figures above are off-peak return guides, so to see live prices for your exact route, dates and cabin, run your search through our Avios Calculator. One quick note before you book: you will need a British Airways Club account, and your membership number to hand, to hold and pay for reward seats.

Heading to the Canada or Mexico games instead?

Five host cities sit outside the United States: Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, and Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico. Mexico City stages the opening match at the Estadio Azteca on 11 June, so it will be one of the hottest tickets of the whole tournament. British Airways flies direct from London to Toronto, Vancouver and Mexico City, which makes those three the most straightforward to reach on Avios.

Because the Canada and Mexico routes, zones and partner options vary more than the US ones, check live prices and availability for your exact dates on the Avios Calculator before you commit.

Best FIFA 2026 routes for Avios collectors

East Coast venues offer the best value. New York and Boston sit in a lower Avios band, so if your group is playing at MetLife Stadium or Gillette Stadium, you are in luck. That is good news for England fans: two of their three group cities, Boston and New York, fall in this cheaper band, with only the Dallas opener in the higher one.

West Coast cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle cost more Avios because they are further away, but they open up the western half of the draw. Weigh the extra Avios against how sharply cash fares to those cities spike in summer.

If your team is on the move, you may need to hop between host cities. American Airlines is a oneworld partner, so you can put Avios towards US domestic flights too. Our guide to booking American Airlines with Avios walks through how that works.

When should you book your World Cup reward flights?

This is where timing gets real. World Cup travel drives demand through the roof, so reward seat availability can disappear quickly and reappear just as fast. The best approach now is to stay flexible on dates and airports, and keep an eye out for newly released or cancelled seats as the tournament approaches. 

With the tournament kicking off on 11 June 2026, the advance window for the group stage has largely closed, so the seats worth chasing now are the ones that free up.

And they do free up. Schedules change, plans fall through, and BA returns unsold and cancelled reward seats to the pool right up to departure. The trick is being first to know. Set a Reward Flight Finder Alert for your route and cabin, and RFF watches British Airways around the clock so you do not have to. The moment a seat appears, you get a notification and can book before it goes. For the knockout rounds running into July, and for fans planning around a deep run by their team, that head start can be the difference between a reward seat and an eye-watering cash fare.

Our Tips for maximising your Avios for FIFA 2026

• Be flexible on airports. Flying into New York and home from Miami can make following your team far easier, and an open-jaw booking often costs the same in Avios.
• Use positioning flights. A cheap hop to a better-connected airport can unlock more reward availability.
• Check partner airlines. Iberia, Qatar Airways, Finnair and American Airlines all take Avios and can open up extra routes, including US domestic legs between host cities.
• Travel just outside peak dates where your schedule allows, to land the lower Avios price.
• Set Availability Alerts early, and for more than one option, so you catch the first seat that appears.
• Sort your entry paperwork. Most UK fans will need an approved ESTA for the United States and an eTA for Canada, so check the official requirements before you book anything.

Is using Avios for FIFA 2026 worth it?

A World Cup is a bucket-list trip. The atmosphere, the drama and the stories you bring home make it unlike any other tournament, and a 2026 edition spread across three countries will be the grandest yet. Cash fares will keep climbing as the football gets closer, but Avios collectors have a way to get ahead.

The earlier you act, and the smarter you are with Alerts and flexibility, the better your chance of turning years of collecting into the trip of a lifetime. Start your search on Reward Flight Finder today, set your Alerts, and get ready to roar your team on.