A website glitch that briefly allowed a small number of fans to secure FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets at no cost has prompted FIFA to cancel the bookings and ask supporters to pay the correct amount if they wish to retain their seats.
Football’s world governing body said around 60 fans were affected after a payment issue during the checkout process resulted in tickets being allocated at “0 USD”. While the bookings have been cancelled, the tickets remain reserved and can be reclaimed upon payment of the correct price.
“FIFA can confirm that approximately 60 FIFA World Cup 2026 fans received a communication on Wednesday, June 3, regarding tickets that had been allocated at no charge (0 USD) due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process,” FIFA said in a statement.
“The tickets requested by these fans remain reserved, and the affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount. FIFA regrets the error and any inconvenience caused,” it added.
According to an email circulated online by Ticket Talk Network, FIFA informed affected customers that a pricing error had caused certain tickets to be displayed at incorrect prices during checkout and in transaction records.
“We identified and resolved an issue with ticket pricing that affected a small number of tickets sold on FIFA.com/tickets on May 21, 2026. This issue caused certain tickets to be displayed with inaccurate prices at checkout and in the completed transaction records,” the email stated.
FIFA said all orders containing incorrectly priced tickets had been cancelled in line with its terms of sale and that customers would receive full refunds for any payments made.
To avoid disappointing affected supporters, FIFA has reserved the same tickets for seven days, giving fans the option to repurchase them at the correct price through their ticketing accounts.
“To ensure you do not miss the opportunity to attend the FIFA World Cup 2026, we have reserved the same ticket(s) for you to purchase at the correct price. These ticket(s) will be available for purchase through your FIFA ticketing account for seven days from the date of this message,” the email read.
The incident comes amid continued scrutiny over ticket pricing for the 2026 World Cup. Earlier this year, FIFA’s official resale platform listed four tickets for the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for nearly USD 2.3 million each, highlighting the soaring demand and premium prices associated with the tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the first edition of the tournament featuring 48 teams.
IANS
