Soccer fans at a watch party in Vancouver react as the teams are announced in the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw on Friday.Rich Lam/The Canadian Press
FIFA temporarily suspended the operation of its World Cup ticketing portal on Friday, one day before what is expected to be a frenzy of soccer fans trying to buy and sell tickets after the schedule for next summer’s tournament is released Saturday afternoon.
In a note posted to its website at 11 a.m.ET, one hour before the World Cup draw began in Washington, FIFA announced that fans would not presently be able to access their ticketing account.
It added that the FIFA Marketplace, which is the only official resale and exchange platform for World Cup tickets, would be temporarily closed until Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. ET.
“During this time, you will not be able to access the Marketplace, including listing, withdrawing, purchasing, or reselling tickets,” the statement read. “From 11 December to 15 December, you will again be able to list or withdraw tickets in the Marketplace. Purchasing will remain unavailable during this period.”
FIFA had not issued a press release announcing the suspension in advance, and it did not respond to a request by The Globe and Mail for comment on Friday afternoon on the rationale for the move.
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Other online ticket reselling sites have World Cup inventory, though FIFA has heavily promoted its Marketplace as the safest way to buy and sell tickets.
FIFA has sold about two million tickets in two tranches for the general public, in October and November. The third tranche will be offered beginning in January, with more than four million more tickets offered for the 104 matches.
Most of the buyers of the first two tranches made their purchases without knowing which teams they would be seeing. FIFA’s release of the schedule on Saturday afternoon will finally unlock key information for many fans, helping them to determine whether they want to sell the tickets they had purchased or buy others.
Fans had been swarming online message boards with discussions of hypothetical match schedules and plans to sell or buy tickets beginning on Saturday. Many of those plans will now have to be put on hold until FIFA reopens its marketplace on Dec. 15.
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Unofficial reselling sites are offering hundreds of tickets to matches in Toronto and Vancouver. On Friday afternoon, after FIFA revealed that the Canadian men’s team would kick off its World Cup campaign on June 12 against either Italy, Wales, Northern Ireland, or Bosnia-Herzegovina, Category 1 tickets with an official face value of $2,440 were asking approximately $6,000 – $13,000, including fees, on SeatGeek. StubHub was offering seats in the same category for $4,600 each.
Category 1 tickets to the Canadian men’s first match in Vancouver, on June 18 against Qatar, were available on StubHub for $6,416 each, with a listed face value of $1,396.02. The same tier of tickets for Canada’s third game, against Switzerland on June 24, were asking $4,455 each on StubHub for seats with a face value of $1,116.81, according to the site.
Luxury package tickets for both Toronto and Vancouver remain on sale while the FIFA ticketing marketplace is temporarily closed.
Fans can purchase a Venue Series package, which includes a single ticket to each match as well as lounge access with food and beverages, ranging in price from $23,300 for the “Champions Club” accommodations to $38,350 for “Pitchside Lounge” treatment in Toronto, where six matches will be played.
A Venue Series package for Vancouver, which includes seven matches, ranges from $19,760 for the lowest tier “FIFA Pavilion” accommodation to $35,340 for “Lounge 1930” accommodation.
What's Canada's path to the World Cup?
On Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 1 p.m. ET, sports reporter Paul Attfield and columnist Cathal Kelly will answer reader questions on Canada’s path in the 2026 World Cup and how it could fare in the group matchups and beyond. Submit your questions in the form below, or by e-mailing audience@globeandmail.com with “World Cup” in the subject line.