FIFA Cancels Free World Cup Tickets After a Website Error

FIFA has canceled about 60 World Cup tickets that were mistakenly issued without charge because of a website error.

According to a statement released Thursday, the tickets were “allocated at no charge (0 USD) due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process.”

FIFA said the affected fans have been invited to pay the appropriate amount, noting, “The tickets requested by these fans remain reserved, and the affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount.”

The organization also said it “regrets the error and any inconvenience caused.”

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The incorrect ticket allocations represent the latest problem in what has been described as an often controversial World Cup ticketing program. Attorneys general in New York and New Jersey are investigating the program for possible violations of consumer protection laws.

In an email sent to buyers, FIFA confirmed that the mispriced tickets were sold on May 21 through the official World Cup site.

That transaction date came more than three months after FIFA president Gianni Infantino said all 104 World Cup games had sold out.

Even with that claim, FIFA continues to sell tickets for matches at the World Cup, which opens next Thursday in Mexico City.

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It has not been confirmed if tickets for less popular games could decrease in cost under FIFA’s surge pricing model, which has drawn controversy from fans.

FIFA is also operating its own resale platform and is taking a 15% commission from both buyers and sellers. The organization said the purpose of this system is to cut out ticket dealers from the market.

Despite the new system, platforms such as Seat Geek were showing widespread ticket availability Friday for multiple World Cup matches.

Tickets for the 2026 World Cup are described as significantly more expensive than any previous edition. FIFA has stated the pricing structure is intended to help generate billions of dollars that will be distributed to member federations to support global soccer development.

The governing body took full control of ticket pricing and sales processes as part of its effort to bring World Cup operations in-house. In past tournaments, FIFA worked jointly with local organizing committees in host countries on these duties.

When soccer federations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico won the right to host in 2018, they pledged to offer hundreds of thousands of group-stage tickets priced at $21 each.

The combination of pricing controversies, resale commissions, and the cancellation of mispriced tickets has added another layer of scrutiny to FIFA’s World Cup ticket management practices.

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