FIFA has moved to recover payments from dozens of supporters who inadvertently received free tickets to the 2026 World Cup, following a technical error on its ticketing platform.
Football’s governing body confirmed to Sky News Sports that approximately 60 fans were issued tickets at no cost after a payment processing fault during checkout allowed orders to complete at “0 USD.”
In an official statement, FIFA said the affected supporters had been contacted on Wednesday, 3 June, and that their tickets remained reserved — on the condition they complete payment of the correct amount.
“The affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount,” FIFA said, adding that it “regrets the error and any inconvenience caused.”
According to an email purportedly sent by FIFA and circulated online by Ticket Talk Network, fans have a seven-day window to settle their payments or face losing their seats. The ticketing watchdog also claimed the affected bookings relate to group-stage matches in Toronto.
The blunder adds to mounting scrutiny surrounding the ticketing operation for the 2026 tournament, which will span the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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