Overview
- This week multiple fans in Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas and other U.S. host cities said they arrived at stadiums but could not enter because resale tickets they bought never transferred through FIFA’s system.
- Resale platforms including StubHub and SeatGeek say a newly launched FIFA mobile app and centralized transfer infrastructure caused delays and failed transfers that affected listings across platforms.
- Companies point to their FanProtect guarantees and say they are issuing refunds, credits or replacement tickets, but affected buyers report inconsistent remedies, delayed fixes, downgraded seats or extra charges to accept replacements.
- State attorneys general in New York and New Jersey have opened inquiries and Texas officials are involved after widespread reports, creating the prospect of regulatory pressure on FIFA’s ticketing and resale rules.
- The breakdowns highlight wider market problems such as speculative listings, official resale surcharges and dynamic pricing, and could push more buyers toward FIFA.com/tickets or force policy changes to protect consumers.