Overview
- Multiple verified reports from mid‑June show buyers who purchased on secondary platforms such as StubHub and Viagogo paid for tickets that were never transferred into FIFA’s official app and were turned away at stadium gates.
- StubHub has blamed the late launch and limited integration of FIFA’s digital ticketing app for transfer breakdowns while FIFA says only tickets bought through its official channels guarantee entry.
- Industry experts say resale practices — listing tickets before owning them, last‑minute cancellations and dynamic pricing — create situations where a sold seat does not translate into a usable digital ticket.
- Buyers seeking redress encountered narrow remedies: FanProtect and similar guarantees frequently offer refunds or platform credit at the reseller’s discretion rather than assured replacement tickets or cash restitution.
- The incidents sit against record FIFA ticket revenue and visible empty seats, raising risks to consumer trust, potential legal scrutiny of resale protections, and calls for clearer accountability between FIFA and secondary marketplaces.