FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, have been accused of taking on the role of “scalpers” in an unprecedented ticketing resale scheme for the 2026 World Cup.
The backlash against the prices of tickets for this summer’s global jamboree was swift and severe. Initially fans were taken aback simply by the face-value figures slapped on seats, with sums rapidly spiraling towards four digits as early as the quarterfinals. Yet, those eye-watering numbers would soon pale in comparison to the fees spat out by the uncapped resale system FIFA are operating.
Taking advantage of regulations (or lack thereof) unique to the United States and Canada—two nations which will, between them, host 91 of the 104 World Cup fixtures in 2026—FIFA are legally entitled to run their own official resale platform which banks them 30% of every secondary transaction. This has caused uproar.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and the campaign group Euroconsumers penned a strongly worded letter to FIFA’s chief operating officer Heimo Schirgi this week which lambasted the organization’s exploitation of the rules.
“The fact that scalping is legal doesn’t mean FIFA must become the scalper,” the letter read, as quoted by .
The same statement adds: “Implementing such a strategy will be perceived as revenue maximization under the guise of responding to market realities. The World Cup is not a commercial product like any other: it is a global cultural event that depends on the passion, loyalty and inclusion of ordinary fans.
“We fear that fans will continue to feel excluded and exploited by a pricing model that fails to reflect the spirit of the World Cup.”
