FIFA demands payment as fans get free W’Cup tickets due to website glitch

FIFA has revealed that a technical glitch on its ticketing website has enabled a handful of fans get free tickets to matches at the 2026 World Cup. 

In a post on X, the FIFA Media page said at least 60 fans who benefited from the glitch have been contacted to make full payments.

“FIFA can confirm that approximately 60 FIFA World Cup 2026 fans received a communication on Wednesday, 3 June regarding tickets that had been allocated at no charge (0 USD) due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process,” the post reads.

“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.”

The football governing body added that the affected matches “were all group stage games in Toronto”.

There has been increased scrutiny into ticket sales and resale at the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA has been subpoenaed by the cities of New Jersey and New York as part of investigations into whether ticketing practices violated consumer protection laws.

FIFA has also been accused of ignoring uneven ticket pricing across the competition, with some match tickets priced exorbitantly. (TheCable)