Around 60 Fans Got Free 2026 World Cup Tickets After FIFA Glitch

^{Pictured: football fans / © Shutterstock}

FIFA has demanded that fans pay for 2026 World Cup tickets they were allocated free of charge because of a technical glitch on its website.

According to Sky News, around 60 fans were able to secure tickets for $0.

The error occurred at the checkout stage. The system allocated seats to the buyers even though no payment was taken.

The fans were later notified by FIFA that they would have to pay for the tickets.

The organisation acknowledged the glitch and said it regretted the error and any inconvenience caused. However, it said the tickets would not remain free.

The seats remain reserved for the buyers for now, but they must pay the full ticket price. They have reportedly been given seven days to do so. If they fail to pay, they will lose their seats.

The tickets are understood to be for group-stage matches in Toronto. FIFA has not specified which games were affected by the glitch. Five matches are due to be played in the city at that stage of the tournament:

• Canada v Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Ghana v Panama;
• Germany v Côte d’Ivoire;
• Croatia v Panama;
• Senegal v Iraq.

The incident comes amid wider criticism of 2026 World Cup ticket prices. Fans have complained that seats are too expensive and that FIFA is using a system under which prices can rise when demand is high. Tickets are also being resold on secondary ticketing platforms, often at prices far above their original value. The issue has prompted officials in New York and New Jersey to examine FIFA’s ticketing policy.

The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July. It will be the first World Cup to be hosted by three countries.