Updated
Updated · KCUR · Jun 10
World Cup Ticket System Locks Out Fans as Resale Prices Top $2,000
Updated
Updated · KCUR · Jun 10

World Cup Ticket System Locks Out Fans as Resale Prices Top $2,000

3 articles · Updated · KCUR · Jun 10

Summary

  • Hundreds of thousands of fans were kicked back to the start of FIFA’s online queue during the “last chance” World Cup ticket sale, leaving many without a chance to buy at face value.
  • The failure hit the author and his father after hours of waiting; when they finally reached the front, the page buffered and reset, forcing them toward the resale market instead.
  • Official resale listings for two Colombia matches in Mexico were already above $1,000, while the team’s only U.S. game was sold out with resale tickets topping $2,000.
  • For the family, the scramble carries extra weight: the father attended Colombia’s traumatic 1994 World Cup exit, and the 2026 trip is now planned as a multigenerational journey to see Colombia in Mexico.

Insights

FIFA promised a global celebration, but did its ticketing system create a World Cup only the wealthy can afford?
With the World Cup kicking off tomorrow, will free Fan Zones salvage the experience for millions of priced-out soccer fans?