Website glitch gives fans 'free' WC tickets, FIFA cancels booking and demands full payment
Football's world governing body said that around 60 supporters had purchased tickets at "0 USD" due to a checkout error, which was later cancelled, and FIFA demanded fans pay up the correct amount to reclaim the ticket.
“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 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," FIFA said in a statement.
According to an purported email from FIFA, posted online by Ticket Talk Network, the tickets affected by the "pricing inaccuracy" have been cancelled, and fans will be given a full refund for all payments made in connection with these ticket orders.
"We identified and resolved an issue with ticket pricing that affected a small number of tickets sold on FIFA.com/tickets on 21 May 2026. This issue caused certain tickets to be displayed with inaccurate prices at checkout and in the completed transaction records.
"You have been identified as a customer who purchased a ticket affected by this pricing inaccuracy. In accordance with the Terms of Sale for the General Public, all ticket orders that included tickets with inaccurate prices have been cancelled. You will receive a full refund for all payments made in connection with these ticket orders," the email read.
According to the e-mail, the cancelled tickets have been reserved, and the fans can reclaim them by purchasing at a correct price.
"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. This ticket(s) will be available for purchase through your FIFA ticketing account for 7 days from the date of this message. If the purchase is not completed within this period, the reserved ticket(s) will be removed from your account," the email further read.
This incident follows well-documented concerns over high ticket prices for the FIFA World Cup 2026. In April, FIFA's resale site has four tickets on sale for the World Cup final for just under USD 2.3 million each. The USD 2,299,998.85 seats for the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, are located behind a goal in the lower deck in Block 124, Row 45, Seats 33-36.
