FIFA ‘regrets’ free World Cup tickets and demands fans pay up

Football’s world governing body has told Sky News sports correspondent Rob Harris that around 60 supporters secured World Cup 2026 tickets at “0 USD” due to a checkout system error.

“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 organisation said.

FIFA said it “regrets the error and any inconvenience caused” but is now requiring the affected fans to pay. It added: “The tickets requested by these fans remain reserved, and the affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount.”

According to reports, supporters have seven days to complete payment or risk losing their seats, based on an email allegedly from FIFA shared online by Ticket Talk Network. The post on X indicated the affected matches are all group-stage games in Toronto.

The incident comes amid growing scrutiny of World Cup 2026 ticketing across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which will feature 48 teams and over 100 matches.

On Tuesday, officials in New York and New Jersey—hosts of eight matches including the final—announced an investigation into whether ticketing practices breached consumer protection laws. Attorneys general in both states have issued subpoenas to FIFA seeking details on several issues, including the use of “variable pricing,” which has faced criticism after ticket prices rose sharply and stadium seating arrangements were reportedly altered, pushing some fans farther from the pitch.