FIFA issues warning after Sky News finds 2026 World Cup tickets on sale for up to £46,000
Tickets for the 2026 World Cup are being sold on a third-party ticket exchange - with up to £46,000 for the final - despite FIFA not putting any on the market yet, Sky News has uncovered.
World football's governing body has now issued a warning to fans to be "wary" of unofficial websites purporting to already offer tickets after being asked about one platform, Vivid Seats.
We delved deeper into the website after concerns were raised by Chelsea fans about their chairman, Todd Boehly, being an investor and director in Vivid while it also sells tickets overseas for Stamford Bridge matches at inflated prices.
Vivid has listings for matches throughout the World Cup for matches being played in the United States and Canada.
Even a group stage match on the second day of the tournament has regular tickets - some listed in specific rows - being sold for up to £44,112 at the SoFI stadium in Los Angeles.
The tickets listed for the World Cup final on 19 July 2026 range from £4,936 to £46,412 (row 31, lower level 139) at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Vivid's website promises: "No matter what you're looking to spend, Vivid Seats has World Cup tickets to fit your budget."
But then it says: "Vivid Seats will have World Cup tickets for sale as soon as they are available, usually many months before the actual game."
In response to our discovery, FIFA cautioned supporters.
"FIFA encourages any fan wishing to purchase tickets for the FIFA World Cup 26 to be wary of non-FIFA official ticketing websites that claim to be selling tickets already and only purchase tickets from the official and legitimate source once those are made available," the World Cup organisers told Sky News.
FIFA is planning to put World Cup tickets on sale this summer.
Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, said the ticket listings were "worrying".
He told Sky News: "It's unlikely that these tickets have been issued and the relation with the competition organisers is unclear.
"Companies like this either exploit the many loopholes that persist in the ticket sales policy or they get privileged access to tickets through competition organisers or associated parties.
"It's the responsibility of the competition organiser to ensure that they put in place a transparent ticket distribution policy and sufficient protections, such as drastic limitations on the number of times a ticket can be transferred to someone else, for example.
"Either they get a safe shortcut to get access to tickets at a later stage. Or they are so confident in exploiting the many loopholes that they take limited risk in selling tickets that don't exist yet."
Vivid Seats did not respond to a request for comment. But when asked about the Chelsea ticketing controversy last week, the American company said: "It is important to note that Vivid Seats does not set the base price for tickets sold on its marketplace or receive any revenue from that base price; only the seller sets and receives the base ticket price."
That comment was issued in response to complaints by Chelsea to the Premier League about Mr Boehly being linked to a website selling tickets beyond Britain for matches.
The Chelsea Supporters' Trust said Vivid and Mr Boehly were undermining efforts to combat ticket touting.
3:31
Since our report was published on Monday, Chelsea has revealed plans to introduce digital-only tickets from next season in conjunction with Ticketmaster.
The hope is that eventually makes it harder for people to buy up memberships and sell tickets for hiked-up prices.
In a statement, Chelsea chief revenue officer Casper Stylsvig said the link-up is in part about "continuing to address the issue of ticket touts."
Chelsea has not commented on concerns about Vivid Seats.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
20 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
World Cup misery for England as Littler and Humphries are knocked out in Germany
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries suffered World Cup misery as England's hopes of retaining the World Cup were torn apart by Germany. The world's top two players slipped to an 8-4 second round defeat at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt, where Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko made the most of the backing of a partisan home crowd to seal a comprehensive victory. Littler and Humphries, who both received MBEs in the King's Birthday Honours, were made to pay for missed doubles with the 18-year-old in particular turning in an off-colour display in a country where he has endured previous disappointments. GERMANY DUMP OUT ENGLAND! 🇩🇪 What. A. Story! Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko produce a spectacular performance to topple England's titans Luke Humphries and Luke Littler! 📺 #WCOD25 | Last 16 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) June 14, 2025 A delighted Schindler, who had insisted in advance that the English duo were 'beatable', told Sky Sports: 'I was right because we believed in ourselves. 'We have been putting in a solid performance, and obviously the double 16s from Ricardo just went in, so we are very happy to go through. 'Today was one step and tomorrow is the other. That's it.' Booed by the home crowd, Littler started nervously and the Germans took the first two legs, but his 123 check-out got England on the board before a 64 finish levelled it up at 2-2. BACK-TO-BACK LEGS FOR ENGLAND! It's not over just yet… Humphries and Littler are battling valiantly here, and they register back-to-back legs to reduce the deficit to 7-4… 📺 #WCOD25 | Last 16 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) June 14, 2025 However, the the teenager missed three darts at a double in the fifth leg to allow Pietreczko to win it with a 106 out-shot and another in the sixth as the Germans restored their advantage, and after Humphries had hit 25 rather than bull going for 122, they went in at the break 5-2 ahead. Pietreczko took out 101 after the resumption before Germany went 7-2 up and although Littler and Humphries took the next two, they eventually succumbed as a return of just four doubles from the 11 chances they created ultimately proved costly. Germany's reward is a quarter-final tie against Australia, who routed Argentina 8-1 with Damon Heta and Simon Whitlock proving too strong for Jesus Salate and Victor Guillin despite missing 21 of their 29 attempts at doubles. Twice-winners Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton secured Wales' passage with a resounding 8-2 win over the Philippines. Here's the moment Netherlands wrapped up a stunning whitewash win over Scotland! 🇳🇱 SIXTEEN legs without reply for Danny Noppert and Gian van Veen in this tournament! 🤯 #WCOD25 | Last 16 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) June 14, 2025 The Welsh pair, who claimed the crown in 2020 and 2023, powered their way through to a last eight clash with Hong Kong with the minimum of fuss despite the first three legs going against the darts. However, Scotland's Peter Wright and Gary Anderson found themselves on the wrong end of a demolition job as they went down 8-0 to the Netherlands in just 15 minutes. Danny Noppert and world youth champion Gian Van Veen, who took out 130 to claim the fourth leg on Scotland's throw, were in inspired form, averaging 100.2 and converting eight of the 12 darts they had at doubles to breeze through to a meeting with the Czech Republic. William O'Connor and Keane Barry eased the Republic of Ireland to a showdown with neighbours Northern Ireland after an 8-3 victory over Switzerland in which they were always in control. Wales, Netherlands, Germany and Australia go through as Day Three comes to a close ✅ Some big shocks in Frankfurt! — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) June 14, 2025 Northern Ireland were comfortable winners over South Africa as Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney eased them to an 8-2 success.
Scottish Sun
25 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Unemployed former Arsenal star shows off his skills as he takes up shock new sport to play against NATO SOLDIERS
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LUKASZ FABIANSKI has shown off his skills in a shock new sport following his West Ham release. The former Arsenal goalkeeper has left the Hammers after seven years with his contract set to expire. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Lukasz Fabianski has swapped football for basketball Credit: Instagram @ 7 He played in a match against NATO soldiers Credit: Instagram @ 7 He was not afraid to get physical on the court Credit: Instagram @ Fabianski, 40, was a firm fan favourite at the London Stadium, having made 195 Premier League appearances for the club. He is keeping himself active while unemployed and has taken up BASKETBALL. The Polish star has signed up to play for Gortat Team in a charity match against a team made up of NATO SOLDIERS. The match took place to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Poland's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL FREE 'N EASY Best XI of players released by Premier League clubs including Kevin De Bruyne Fabianski could be seen hitting the court, dribbling and shooting the ball. He was not the only famous footballer to be included in the team either. Former Borussia Dortmund and Poland international Jakub Błaszczykowski was also pictured lining up with Fabianski. It was a successful night for Fabianski and Co as his side ran out 67-64 winners at the Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Fabianski has previously spoken about his love of the American sport and revealed how he got into it. He said: "I played basketball in primary school, and when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were winning NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls my interest grew in the sport. West Ham star Michail Antonio shares footage of himself learning to walk again after escaping death in horror crash 7 Jakub Blaszczykowski was also on Fabianski's team Credit: - 7 "I started to follow basketball and wanted to be one of them. Playing basketball from an early age with my brothers (Bartek and Arek) has definitely helped me in certain aspects of my football career. "For a basketball player footwork is very important and also your handling, while the physical training you have to do in basketball is very similar to that of a footballer. 'I've played since then, and I've followed the NBA closely. When I get the chance to shoot some hoops I do it!" Meanwhile, Fabianski has already rejected a move back to Poland after an offer from Legia Warsaw. Club sporting director Michal Zewkalow revealed that the veteran stopper wants to stay in England. He told Sport: 'Lukasz called back two days after my call. 'He said clearly that he is not coming back to Poland. 'For private reasons, he wants to stay in England for a few more years.' Fabianski played for Arsenal between 2007 and 2014 but only made 32 appearances in the Premier League for the club. He was never able to pin down the No.1 spot while at the Emirates but proved himself a top goalkeeper at his next club, Swansea City. The former Polish international spent four years in Wales before joining West Ham following the Swans' relegation to the Championship in 2018. 7 Fabianski has left West Ham after seven years Credit: Alamy
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Gregor Townsend expects talks on his Scotland future as landmark looms
Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Gregor Townsend has entered the final year of his Scotland contract but has offered little indication as to whether he expects his tenure to be extended. The 52-year-old head coach has already taken charge of more games - 92 - than any of his predecessors and is on course to hit the century mark during next year's Six Nations. Whether he remains in situ beyond the championship remains to be seen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad His deal expires in April and although talks have taken place with Alex Williamson, Scottish Rugby's new chief executive, and David Nucifora, the performance director who has been hired on a consultancy basis, Townsend said they were not related to his contract. Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend announces his squad for the Skyscanner Pacific Tour. | SNS Group 'I've had conversations with both David and Alex about the future but not necessarily my future,' he said. '[They were] just about where the team is going, reviewing the Six Nations but also areas that we might have to strengthen or look to bring more players through, what's the challenges. So they're normal, those conversations, but nothing about my own situation. 'So I'd imagine those conversations will start as we get closer to November or after the summer tour.' Townsend, who has led Scotland into two Rugby World Cup and eight Six Nations Championships, sees the tour as a chance to gain important ranking points which would help his side gain a higher seeding when the draw for the 2027 World Cup takes place in December this year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It opens with a (non-ranking) fixture against the Māori All Blacks in Whangārei on July 5 and continues with two Test matches, against Fiji and Samoa, which will count towards the world rankings. Scotland sit seventh at the moment, tucked in between sixth-placed England and eighth-placed Australia, and Townsend would like to see his team in the top six in time for the draw, thus ensuring they would be in the first group of seeds and avoiding the calamity of the last World Cup when, as third seeds, they were paired with South Africa and Ireland and eliminated in the pool stage for the second tournament running. The match with the Māori All Blacks will be Scotland's first since they lost to France in the Six Nations finale and the period since has been a time for reflection and education, said Townsend. He travelled to Australia to spend time with the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm rugby league teams and the Brisbane Lions Australian Rules side, while assistant coach Pete Horne went to New Zealand. For the second year running, Scotland finished fourth in the Six Nations, winning two and losing three, an outcome that fell below expectations. Not surprisingly, Townsend was keener to draw on the positives from the tournament and felt that Scotland's performance against France in Paris offered cause for optimism despite the 35-16 defeat. He felt his side matched the champions physically and talked up the way his forwards competed. Gregor Townsend felt Scotland fronted up physically against France in the final game of this year's Six Nations. | SNS Group 'We've reflected a lot on our performance, we've had learnings,' said Townsend. 'Pete Horne was out in New Zealand for three weeks, I was out in Australia for a week, so it is a good period to not just focus on your own game but how can you add from other experiences. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The most relevant game is the last one you played, which I thought was a really positive performance in Paris. And it gives me a lot of optimism of what our team can do when we go up against a big side. And the big sides we've gone up against this year - South Africa, Ireland, England, France, the real physical teams. . . . Most - not the Ireland game, but South Africa, France and England - we've really fronted up physically and we've been able to impose our game.' That may be so but Scotland still lost those games and there remains doubts about the depth of their forward resources to compete against South Africa, Ireland and France who are able to field ferocious starting packs and replace them with equally formidable substitutes. 'There are other areas we have to improve, we know that,' added Townsend. 'Taking opportunities. We were held up over the line against France, we were held up a couple of times against Wales, and we had opportunities against England - we should have scored another seven to 14 points. 'But a lot of the game that we want to work on with our players is in place. It's against the top teams as well, and accuracy and keep driving our game, our players driving it as much as the coaches, is what we want to do with the team. But there's nothing there when we reflected 'Oh we really need to change this,' or 'This is a big part of the game that we're struggling with'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think the forwards in particular showed what they can deliver this year, so that gives us a lot of encouragement for the future.' Fiji's Tevita Ikanivere leads the cibi war dance before the match against Scotland at Murrayfield in November. | SNS Group / SRU Next month's games are against sides ranked below Scotland but have a hazardous feel to them. The Scots scored eight tries in beating Fiji 57-17 at Murrayfield in November but playing them in the heat and humidity of Suva is a different challenge altogether as Townsend knows only too well. His first tour in charge of Scotland saw them lose 27-22 in the Fijian capital in 2017. The final game, against Samoa, will be played at Eden Park in Auckland, negating any home advantage the islanders might have had. Sky Sports will show live coverage of the opener against the Māori All Blacks which is scheduled for 4.35am in the UK. The Fiji match on July 12 is another which should suit insomniacs and kicks off at 4am while the Samoa game on July 18 starts at the more respectable 9.05am BST. A broadcaster has yet to be confirmed for the latter two but talks are ongoing. Scotland's Skyscanner Pacific Tour squad Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Backs: Fergus Burke (Saracens), Matt Currie (Edinburgh), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Adam Hastings (Glasgow), George Horne (Glasgow), Tom Jordan (Glasgow), Cameron Redpath (Bath), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow), Harry Paterson (Edinburgh), Arron Reed (Sale), Kyle Rowe (Glasgow), Ollie Smith (Glasgow), Kyle Steyn (Glasgow), Ben White (Toulon). Forwards: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh), Josh Bayliss (Bath), Gregor Brown (Glasgow), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow), Rory Darge (Glasgow, capt), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Paddy Harrison (Edinburgh), Cameron Henderson (Leicester), Alec Hepburn (Scarlets), Will Hurd (Leicester), Alexander Masibaka (Soyaux Angouleme), Nathan McBeth (Glasgow), Elliot Millar Mills (Northampton), Ben Muncaster (Edinburgh), Andy Onyeama-Christie (Saracens), Fin Richardson (Glasgow), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Rory Sutherland (Glasgow), Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh), George Turner (Kobe Steelers), Max Williamson (Glasgow).
