May 13 – The World Cup ticketing controversy keeps on building. FIFA is now facing mounting criticism after multiple fans reported significant delays receiving payments owed for tickets sold through FIFA’s official 2026 World Cup resale platform.
In some cases payments have been delayed well beyond the 60-day window FIFA itself sets out in its own terms and conditions.
Several fans told The Athletic, and hundreds more have complained online, that they have been chasing FIFA for thousands of dollars months after buyers purchased their tickets via the official marketplace. FIFA takes a 15% cut from both sides of every resale transaction.
FIFA’s ‘Ticket Transfer and Resale Terms’, last updated May 6, 2026, state that resellers will be paid “within 60 calendar days from the date of Purchase.” Yet some fans who resold tickets last autumn or winter are still waiting.
The Athletic named Florida-based fan Marcos Medeiros, who waited more than 100 days for some of his money and has filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission. Toronto-based Matthew Elias, has been awaiting payment since mid-December after selling tickets following the World Cup draw.
Emails seen by The Athletic show repeated identical responses from FIFA’s ticketing centre promising updates “within the next five to seven working days,” none of which have materialised into payment. “Soccer’s the biggest sport in the world, they’re the governing body,” Elias said. “They’re not like a small little Mickey Mouse company.”
In a statement, FIFA said: “While the majority of cases are completed as expected, some more complex cases require additional review and therefore take longer to process… FIFA remains committed to processing all payments as efficiently as possible while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy, security, and compliance.”
The terms also make clear that resellers are not entitled to any interest on funds held by FIFA before payment.
Texas fan Robert Rodriguez, who waited three months for $1,615, ended up fronting another $1,600 for Argentina tickets in the meantime. “It has been quite the odyssey,” he said. “They’re really souring this for the common fan… it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”
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