FIFA on Wednesday warned fans against buying tickets for the 2026 World Cup on “unofficial ticketing sites” in response to a request for comment from ESPN about speculative ticket sales on ticket resale websites in the United States and Mexico.
Individual tickets for the next World Cup will not go on sale until late 2025, despite current advertising on secondary markets. However, hospitality packages will begin to be offered to fans in late 2024.
“Tickets for the 26th FIFA World Cup™ will be sold exclusively through FIFA.com/tickets, with sales expected to begin in late 2025. FIFA advises all fans wishing to attend the tournament to purchase tickets only from official sources and to be wary of unofficial ticketing sites claiming to be already selling tickets,” FIFA said in a statement to ESPN. “Fans wishing to receive information on how to order tickets for the 26th FIFA World Cup™ can register at FIFA.com/tickets and follow the simple registration instructions.
“FIFA will keep registered fans informed of the latest news and information regarding the 26 FIFA World Cup™ tickets.”
FIFA has not confirmed at this stage whether legal action will be taken against websites offering unofficial tickets to the event, with listings already appearing on StubHub, Vivid Seats and viagogo.
In 2018, FIFA filed a criminal complaint against ticket resale website viagogo AG for offering fraudulent tickets for the World Cup in Russia.
The organisation alleged a “breach of the law on unfair competition” against the website, in an effort to put an end to the business practices of unauthorised distribution channels. At the time, other interested parties also filed criminal complaints against viagogo, according to FIFA.
The ticket resale market is currently the subject of a broader investigation by the US Department of Justice, after it filed an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment this year. The regulator accused them of exercising an illegal monopoly over live events in the US and asked a court to dismantle the system that stifles competition and drives up prices for fans.
ESPN writer Cesar Hernandez contributed to this story.
