Fans outraged as FIFA delays paying them for resold World Cup tickets

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Martin Macdonald | Writer

Content writer covering football, formula 1 and movies

FIFA has come under fire for not sending money for resold World Cup tickets within the timeframe set out by their own legal terms and conditions.

The secondary resale market for the 2026 World Cup has caused controversy due to the high price set by most of the sellers, though FIFA set the tone themselves by making the original prices expensive also.

On average, group stage matches are three times more expensive than those in Qatar four years ago and for higher-profile games, some tickets are going for tens of thousands. One seller has posted a World Cup final ticket with a price of around $1.7 million attached.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino joked that he would personally deliver a hot dog and a Coke to anyone who spends that amount on a ticket to the final on 19 July.

Controversially, FIFA holds a 15% sell-on commission for any ticket that is sold via their official resale marketplace.

In some cases, sellers have received their payments promptly but for plenty more, they have waited beyond the 60 days set by FIFA itself to receive their money.

FIFA's official “Ticket Transfer and Resale Terms” document states:

“After the Marketplace’s receipt of payment from a Resale Purchaser, FIFA … will pay [the reseller] within 60 calendar days from the date of Purchase or such shorter period as required by applicable law.”

The FAQ page also states: “Payment will be made within 60 calendar days from the date the ticket is purchased by the new buyer … provided you have met all terms and submitted the required payment information.”

In some cases, fans have waited months to receive payment and some are still waiting, having sold tickets months ago.

Hundreds of fans have complained to the Athletic as well as FIFA about the governing body dragging their heels on payments.

“It’s insane what’s happening,” Marcos Medeiros, a Florida-based fan who resold multiple batches of tickets and waited over 100 days for some of his money, told The Athletic.

Marcos Medeiros, a Florida-based fan, described the ticket resale situation as "insane" to The Athletic after waiting over 100 days for payment on multiple ticket batches.

When asked why payments are being delayed, FIFA responded: “While the majority of cases are completed as expected, some more complex cases require additional review and therefore take longer to process. Payment timelines can also be affected where customer-provided information, such as bank details, is incomplete or requires further verification. FIFA remains committed to processing all payments as efficiently as possible while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy, security, and compliance.”

In some cases, FIFA have given payments on bank or credit cards for one transaction, only to refuse that same card on another transaction.

One fan, Matthew Elias, has waited five months to recive his month. "It doesn't make any sense," he told The Athletic.

According to a statement from FIFA, any refund amount that exceeds the original purchase price cannot be credited back to the initial payment card. In such instances, an alternative payment method must be used. FIFA noted that these restrictions are in place to comply with anti-fraud and anti-money laundering regulations, as well as standard payment card industry rules.