By R. Alexander Núñez
The FIFA canceled the tickets for the World Cup 2026 of around 60 fans who had obtained free tickets due to an error in the official sales system. The agency reported that the tickets were issued with a value of $0 dollars due to a problem registered during the payment process on the purchasing platform.
The organization explained that the tickets were not delivered intentionally and that the anomaly occurred due to a failure during the final stage of the transaction. Although the tickets were cancelled, FIFA assured that the seats continue to be reserved for those affected, who received an invitation to complete the corresponding payment and keep their places in the selected matches.
In a statement released on Thursday, the governing body of world football acknowledged the situation and regretted the inconvenience caused.
“FIFA regrets the error and any inconvenience caused,” the entity said.
The organization added that the tickets had been “allocated at no cost ($0) due to a prior payment issue during the purchasing process.”
Questions persist about the sales system
The incident represents a new setback for the 2026 World Cup ticket sales program, a process that already is under review by the attorneys general of New York and New Jerseywho investigate possible violations of consumer protection laws.
According to FIFA, The tickets with the wrong price were purchased on May 21 through the official tournament site. The date is striking because it occurred more than three months after the president of the organization, Gianni Infantino, stated that the 104 World Cup matches were completely sold out.
Despite those statements, the FIFA continues to sell tickets for tournament matcheswhich will begin next Thursday in Mexico City. The entity did not clarify whether some games with lower demand could experience price reductions within the dynamic fee model that has generated criticism among fans.
The agency also runs an official ticket resale platform, where it charges a 15% commission to both buyers and sellers. The measure seeks to limit the participation of resellers in the secondary market.
Meanwhile, external platforms such as Seat Geek continued to offer a wide availability of tickets for different meetings, as reported on Friday.
The 2026 World Cup features the highest ticket prices recorded in the tournament’s history. FIFA has defended this policy, arguing that the revenue generated will raise billions of dollars for the development of football through its affiliated federations.
The sale and pricing of tickets became under direct adjustment by FIFA following the decision to centralize World Cup operations. In previous editions, these functions were managed jointly with the organizing committees of the host countries.
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