A ticketing glitch briefly gave dozens of football fans what appeared to be the deal of a lifetime – FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets for free. But the celebration was short-lived after FIFA cancelled the bookings and asked supporters to pay the correct price if they still wanted to attend the tournament.
Football’s governing body confirmed that around 60 fans were affected by a checkout error that resulted in tickets being allocated at “0 USD” during the purchase process. The tickets have since been cancelled, although FIFA has reserved the same seats for the affected customers and given them an opportunity to complete the purchase at the proper price.
“FIFA can confirm that approximately 60 FIFA World Cup 2026 fans received a communication 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.”
According to an email reportedly sent to affected customers and shared online by Ticket Talk Network, FIFA identified a pricing error on its ticketing platform that caused some tickets to display incorrect prices during checkout and in completed transaction records.
As a result, all ticket orders linked to the pricing discrepancy were cancelled and customers were informed they would receive full refunds for any payments connected to those bookings.
However, FIFA has also offered supporters a second chance to secure the same seats by purchasing them at the correct price within seven days. If payment is not completed during that period, the reserved tickets will be released back into the system.
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The incident adds another chapter to the growing debate around ticket pricing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Concerns over affordability have intensified in recent months, with reports in April highlighting World Cup final tickets listed on FIFA’s resale platform for nearly USD 2.3 million each. The seats, located behind one of the goals at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, drew widespread attention and criticism from fans across the world.
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