System error issued 60 tickets at $0; US prosecutors launch probe over soaring prices

A soccer ball sits on the pitch at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, ahead of the 2026 World Cup opener scheduled for June 11. [AFP]
A soccer ball sits on the pitch at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, ahead of the 2026 World Cup opener scheduled for June 11. [AFP]

FIFA has canceled tickets for the 2026 North America World Cup that were mistakenly issued for free through a system error, less than a week before the tournament kicks off.

According to the Associated Press, FIFA said in an official statement that "a system error occurred during the payment process, causing some fans to be incorrectly issued tickets at $0," adding that it "regrets any inconvenience caused."

About 60 tickets were affected by the error, which was processed through the official ticketing site on May 21.

FIFA said the seats reserved by those fans would remain held for now, but that they must pay the correct amount again to attend the matches.

Criticism of FIFA's ticketing system has been mounting. The governing body introduced dynamic pricing for this tournament, allowing ticket prices to fluctuate in real time based on demand.

Final tickets soared as high as $10,990 (about 16 million won) — roughly seven times the peak price of $1,604 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup final.

Prosecutors in New York and New Jersey launched a probe last week into allegations of fraudulent ticket sales practices against FIFA.

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement that FIFA had turned buying World Cup tickets into "an ordeal marked by confusion, artificial scarcity and outrageously high prices," adding, "We will conduct a thorough investigation into FIFA's conduct."


moon@heraldcorp.com