Overview
- Fans entering FIFA’s site Wednesday found multi‑hour virtual lines, crashes, and a wrong redirect into a late‑qualifier queue that FIFA corrected around noon, leaving many without a chance to buy.
- FIFA raised prices again in this window, with Category 1 seats for the final at $10,990 and mid‑tier categories also higher, reflecting demand‑based dynamic pricing that lifts prices as interest surges.
- FIFA’s official Resale and Exchange Marketplace reopened Thursday, and third‑party sites listed steep markups, including Canada–Bosnia tickets in Toronto ranging from about $1,961 to $130,766 on StubHub Canada.
- FIFA says more than 3 million tickets were sold in the first three phases and about 6 million will be available in total, with new drops continuing on a rolling basis up to the tournament.
- Consumer groups and lawmakers escalated challenges to the strategy, with an EU complaint over “exorbitant” pricing and U.S. Democrats warning of price gouging, as many fans say the costs put attendance out of reach.