Fifa has cancelled World Cup tickets for approximately 60 fans who were mistakenly issued them for free due to a website error, marking the latest controversy in the tournament’s ticketing programme.
The governing body confirmed the tickets were “allocated at no charge (0 USD) due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process,” in a statement released on Thursday.
“Fifa regrets the error and any inconvenience caused,” the football organisation added, clarifying that “the tickets requested by these fans remain reserved, and the affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount.”
This incident adds to an already contentious ticketing process, which is currently under investigation by the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey for potential breaches of consumer protection laws.
The mispriced tickets were sold via the official World Cup site on 21 May, an event that occurred more than three months after Fifa president Gianni Infantino had declared all 104 World Cup games completely sold out.
Despite previous announcements, Fifa continues to sell tickets for matches at the World Cup, which is set to commence next Thursday in Mexico City. Uncertainty remains over whether prices for less popular games will decrease under Fifa’s controversial surge pricing model.
Furthermore, Fifa operates its own resale platform, imposing a 15 per cent commission on both buyers and sellers, ostensibly to eliminate unofficial ticket dealers. However, platforms such as Seat Geek were still showing widespread availability for numerous games as of Friday.
Tickets for the 2026 World Cup are notably more expensive than any previous edition.
Fifa has defended these elevated prices by stating they will generate billions of dollars, which will then be distributed to member federations to support the global development of the game.
This shift in pricing and sales strategy comes as Fifa has brought World Cup operations, including ticketing, in-house, departing from the long-standing model of collaborating with host nations’ local organising committees.
When the football federations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico secured hosting rights in 2018, they had pledged to offer hundreds of thousands of group-stage tickets at just $21 each.
