FIFA regrets free ticket error but demands fans pay
FIFA has admitted an error on its website allowed 60 fans to purchase World Cup tickets for free.
Football’s world governing body has cancelled the tickets with incorrect prices and given the affected fans the opportunity to repurchase the tickets at full price.
Error!
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“FIFA can confirm that approximately 60 fans received a communication on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, regarding tickets that had been allocated at no charge due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process,” it said, adding that it “regrets any inconvenience caused.”
Ticket Talk Network, a social media account that highlights ticketing errors, shared a letter that confirmed the fans have seven days to pay for the tickets before they are removed from their accounts.
It is understood the affected tickets were for group stage matches in Toronto.
The World Cup, which is being hosted in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, gets under way on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
2026 WC tickets fiasco
The glitch is just the latest ticket issue facing FIFA, which promised the event would be sold out but still has seats available less than a week before the tournament begins.
Last week, the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey started an investigation into FIFA’s ticket practices, following allegations of “artificially inflating prices” and “misleading fans.”
Fifa is using a process it calls ‘variable pricing’ for ticket sales. It means ticket prices can be adjusted throughout the sales phases based on demand and availability.
FIFA’s final open sales window began in April. At the time, it was said that more tickets could be released right up to kick-off.
This comes after the global football body confirmed the appearance of top celebrity musicians as part of a star-studded lineup for the ceremony. Music stars Shakira and Burna Boy are set to perform “Dai Dai” at the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City.
The performance will mark another major World Cup moment for Shakira, who has become closely associated with football’s biggest tournament through previous hits such as the iconic World Cup anthem “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”.
