The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has cancelled a number of tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after discovering a pricing error that allowed some fans to obtain tickets at incorrect rates during a recent sales window.
In a notification sent to affected customers, and later shared on X and confirmed, FIFA said it identified and corrected a malfunction in its ticketing system that impacted a limited number of ticket purchases made through its official ticketing platform on May 21, 2026.
According to the global football governing body, the error resulted in certain tickets being displayed with inaccurate prices during checkout and in completed transaction records.
“As part of these efforts, 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,” the organisation stated.
FIFA informed affected buyers that, in line with its General Public Terms of Sale, all ticket orders linked to the pricing discrepancy had been cancelled and would be fully refunded.
“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 canceled. You will receive a full refund for all payments made in connection with these ticket orders,” the statement read.
The organisation, however, sought to reassure affected supporters that they would not lose their opportunity to attend the tournament, revealing that the same tickets had been reserved for them pending fresh payment at the correct rates.
FIFA said the reserved tickets would remain available in the affected customers’ ticketing accounts for seven days, after which they would be released if payment was not completed.
The development sparked reactions among football fans online, particularly after reports emerged that some of the affected tickets had reportedly been issued at no cost due to a payment-processing issue.
Clarifying the situation, FIFA confirmed that approximately 60 supporters worldwide were impacted by the 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.
“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 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is expected to be the largest edition of the tournament in history, featuring 48 national teams and millions of fans from across the world.
The ticketing glitch comes as FIFA continues preparations for the competition, with global demand for match tickets already reaching unprecedented levels following the opening phases of sales.
While FIFA insists the issue affected only a small number of transactions, the incident has renewed scrutiny of the organisation’s ticketing infrastructure ahead of what is expected to be one of the most commercially significant sporting events ever staged.
