{"id":4700,"date":"2026-06-26T18:27:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T18:27:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/06\/26\/world-cup-fans-are-missing-games-after-their-resale-tickets-fall-through\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T18:27:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T18:27:35","slug":"world-cup-fans-are-missing-games-after-their-resale-tickets-fall-through","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=4700","title":{"rendered":"World Cup fans are missing games after their resale tickets fall through"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"storytitle\">\n<h1>World Cup fans are missing games after their resale tickets fall through<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORYTITLE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"story-meta\" class=\"story-meta has-byline\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one-inner\">\n<div class=\"dateblock\">\n    <time datetime=\"2026-06-26T12:13:47-04:00\"><br \/>\n            <span class=\"date\">June 26, 2026<\/span><span class=\"time\">12:13 PM ET<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/time>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE-INNER\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"story-meta__two\">\n<div id=\"storybyline\" class=\"storybyline-wrap linkLocation\">\n<div class=\"bucketwrap byline\">\n<div class=\"byline-container--block\">\n<div class=\"byline byline--block byline--has-link\" aria-label=\"Byline\">\n<div class=\"byline__photo\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/1108419098\/juliana-kim\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/807x807+0+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F35%2F6a%2Fb0e42997405eb4ba61920f56aa67%2Fjuliana-kim-headshot.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Headshot of Juliana Kim\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/807x807+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F35%2F6a%2Fb0e42997405eb4ba61920f56aa67%2Fjuliana-kim-headshot.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\"><br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<p class=\"byline__name byline__name--block\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/1108419098\/juliana-kim\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n      Juliana Kim<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP BYLINE\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__TWO\" -->\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"STORY-META\" CLASS=\"STORY-META HAS-BYLINE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"storytext\" class=\"storytext storylocation linkLocation\">\n<div id=\"resg-s1-130397\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 6280;--source-height: 4189\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/6280x4189+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F42%2Fac%2Fadcf8c0249f490bef06566710e50%2Fgettyimages-2282108073.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/6280x4189+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F42%2Fac%2Fadcf8c0249f490bef06566710e50%2Fgettyimages-2282108073.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"People wait outside of the Dallas Stadium looking for tickets during a FIFA World Cup game between the Netherlands and Japan on June 14 in Arlington, Texas.\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                People wait outside of the Dallas Stadium holding signs reading World Cup tickets wanted during a FIFA World Cup game between the Netherlands and Japan on June 14 in Arlington.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Shafkat Anowar\/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Shafkat Anowar\/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>During the Scotland vs. Morocco match last week, 65-year-old John McNicholas stood outside Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. \u2014 one ear tuned into the cheers of fans inside and the other pressed to a phone with StubHub customer service.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resnx-s1-5871397-100\" class=\"bucketwrap internallink insettwocolumn inset2col \">\n<div class=\"bucket img\">\n                  <a class=\"imagewrap\" id=\"featuredStackSquareImagenx-s1-5836514\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/05\/28\/nx-s1-5836514\/2026-world-cup-fifa-ticket-prices\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/05\/28\/nx-s1-5836514\/2026-world-cup-fifa-ticket-prices\"}'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3278x3278+812+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbe%2F5d%2Fe1eedf1b4b44b8c4c644242abb34%2Fgettyimages-2247178952.jpg\" data-original=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3278x3278+812+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/100\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbe%2F5d%2Fe1eedf1b4b44b8c4c644242abb34%2Fgettyimages-2247178952.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3278x3278+812+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbe%2F5d%2Fe1eedf1b4b44b8c4c644242abb34%2Fgettyimages-2247178952.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\" class=\"img lazyOnLoad\" alt=\"FIFA \u2014 led by Gianni Infantino \u2014 is facing a joint probe from attorneys generals in New Jersey and New York.\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a>         <\/p>\n<div class=\"bucketblock\">\n<h3 class=\"slug\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/series\/g-s1-98388\/soccer-edition\">Soccer Edition <\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/05\/28\/nx-s1-5836514\/2026-world-cup-fifa-ticket-prices\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/05\/28\/nx-s1-5836514\/2026-world-cup-fifa-ticket-prices\"}'>FIFA&#8217;s World Cup ticket sales outraged fans. Now they are under investigation<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETBLOCK\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKET IMG\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"RESNX-S1-5871397-100\" CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP INTERNALLINK INSETTWOCOLUMN INSET2COL \" --><\/p>\n<p>After spending over $1,200 on two seats, driving four hours from New Jersey to Boston, and hiking two miles from his hotel to the stadium, McNicholas learned that his World Cup tickets fell through.<\/p>\n<p>The hardest part was breaking the news to his friend, David Wain, who was visiting from England to be McNicholas&#8217; plus-one. The two held out hope up until half-time.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;\u200aWe hung around because we thought, well, somebody may be able to solve it at the last minute,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But nothing occurred.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Since the World Cup began about two weeks ago, a growing number of fans who purchased resale game tickets say they were left empty-handed on match day \u2014 forcing them to either miss out on a rare opportunity or scramble to find new tickets, often costing twice or triple what they originally paid and for worse seats.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-130338\" class=\"bucketwrap image medium\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 1920;--source-height: 1786\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1920x1786+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0d%2Fe8%2Fdd06ebc2438092204493f1c56c82%2Fa0d32b1a-1d06-40e1-b158-83200a1c1046.jpeg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1920x1786+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0d%2Fe8%2Fdd06ebc2438092204493f1c56c82%2Fa0d32b1a-1d06-40e1-b158-83200a1c1046.jpeg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"David Wain, a friend of John McNicholas' who was visiting from England, sits outside Gillette Stadium, known as Boston Stadium during the World Cup, after the pair's game tickets never arrived.\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                David Wain, a friend of John McNicholas&#8217; who was visiting from England, sits outside Gillette Stadium, known as Boston Stadium during the World Cup, after the pair&#8217;s game tickets never arrived.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    John McNicholas<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        John McNicholas<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Many of the complaints have been aimed at StubHub, one of the biggest platforms for ticket resales, though some fans on social media have reported similar troubles with Vivid Seats and SeatGeek. It&#8217;s the latest in a flurry of controversies over World Cup tickets, along with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/04\/01\/nx-s1-5770564\/fifa-world-cup-ticket-prices\" target=\"_blank\">sky-high prices<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/05\/28\/nx-s1-5836514\/2026-world-cup-fifa-ticket-prices\" target=\"_blank\">seating chart confusion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In an emailed statement to NPR, StubHub said the issue stems from FIFA&#8217;s &#8220;ticketing infrastructure,&#8221; including its app \u2013 which the vendor claims &#8220;has had significant performance issues that have affected transfers across all resale platforms.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, FIFA told NPR it can only guarantee the validity and delivery of tickets purchased through its official platform. The soccer governing body, which also runs its own resale marketplace, did not respond to questions regarding StubHub&#8217;s claim that FIFA was responsible for fans&#8217; missing tickets.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"edTag\"><strong>Thousands of dollars, hours of travel and dashed dreams<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Brad Michel, from San Antonio, Texas, purchased three seats near center-field on StubHub for roughly $15,600 in January 2025 \u2014 months before tickets went on sale on FIFA \u2014 believing it would be easier than trying to navigate the FIFA lottery system, which gave randomly selected fansa chance topurchase tickets.<\/p>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" CLASS=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" ARIA-LABEL=\"RECOMMENDED STORIES\" --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;\u200aI thought by purchasing the tickets so far in advance, that I would forgo all of the drama that followed whenever the FIFA site opened up,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>The tickets were for Netherlands vs. Sweden in Houston, which he planned to attend with his 12-year-old son and his wife&#8217;s father, who lives in Sweden.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resnx-s1-5871397-101\" class=\"bucketwrap internallink insettwocolumn inset2col \">\n<div class=\"bucket img\">\n                  <a class=\"imagewrap\" id=\"featuredStackSquareImagenx-s1-5781843\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/09\/nx-s1-5781843\/fuming-in-n-j-as-costs-add-up-some-question-whether-hosting-the-world-cup-is-worth-it\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/09\/nx-s1-5781843\/fuming-in-n-j-as-costs-add-up-some-question-whether-hosting-the-world-cup-is-worth-it\"}'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3407x3407+677+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4d%2F90%2F23e4f4a54b3a9af9c291fd693485%2Fgettyimages-2274072737.jpg\" data-original=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3407x3407+677+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/100\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4d%2F90%2F23e4f4a54b3a9af9c291fd693485%2Fgettyimages-2274072737.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3407x3407+677+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4d%2F90%2F23e4f4a54b3a9af9c291fd693485%2Fgettyimages-2274072737.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\" class=\"img lazyOnLoad\" alt='This photo shows the exterior of the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. A blue banner at the top edge of the stadium says: \"FIFA WORLD CUP 2026.\"' loading=\"lazy\"><\/a>         <\/p>\n<div class=\"bucketblock\">\n<h3 class=\"slug\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/series\/g-s1-98388\/soccer-edition\">Soccer Edition <\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/09\/nx-s1-5781843\/fuming-in-n-j-as-costs-add-up-some-question-whether-hosting-the-world-cup-is-worth-it\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/09\/nx-s1-5781843\/fuming-in-n-j-as-costs-add-up-some-question-whether-hosting-the-world-cup-is-worth-it\"}'>As costs add up, some in New Jersey are fuming about the World Cup<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETBLOCK\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKET IMG\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"RESNX-S1-5871397-101\" CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP INTERNALLINK INSETTWOCOLUMN INSET2COL \" --><\/p>\n<p>Michel said he trusted Stubhub&#8217;s FanProtect Guarantee policy, which promises a refund or &#8220;comparable&#8221; replacement seats if the original tickets fail to arrive. So, when two of his tickets never showed up and a StubHub representative offered him new seats, Michel was open to it. Then, he heard what the options were.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They were gonna swap me my premium midfield, close-to-the-pitch seats, and they wanted me to trade or swap ticket-for-ticket with no additional refund, these nosebleed tickets or behind the goal,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I told them, &#8216;No way. I&#8217;m not taking those.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Michel later learned that what was deemed &#8220;comparable&#8221; tickets are at the sole discretion of StubHub. According to its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stubhub.com\/legal\/?section=fp\" target=\"_blank\"><u>website<\/u><\/a>, the replacement tickets are determined by &#8220;cost, quality, availability and other factors.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Michel and his family ended up watching the match on TV at their Airbnb, but his attentionwas on the stands. He scanned the screen to locate his original seats, which to him, looked occupied. He said that, as of Thursday night, he&#8217;s still hoping for a refund.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-130335\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 2040;--source-height: 1148\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2040x1148+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb5%2F92%2F64f7af5f4039974e6fb47a584e07%2Fb142ab56-c0b6-4b8e-8169-f9ea0215a622.jpeg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/2040x1148+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb5%2F92%2F64f7af5f4039974e6fb47a584e07%2Fb142ab56-c0b6-4b8e-8169-f9ea0215a622.jpeg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Brad Michel's father-in-law, Ricardo Popa-Olave, traveled from Sweden to watch Netherlands vs. Sweden game in person in Houston. Instead, they watched at their Airbnb.\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Brad Michel&#8217;s father-in-law, Ricardo Popa-Olave, traveled from Sweden to watch Netherlands vs. Sweden game in person in Houston. Instead, they watched at their Airbnb.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Brad Michel<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Brad Michel<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Brett Romas flew from Alberta, Canada, to Houston to attend the Portugal vs. Uzbekistan match with his 13-year-old son, who&#8217;s a major fan of Portugal&#8217;s Cristiano Ronaldo. But when the tickets arrived in his inbox, StubHub had sent ones for England vs. Ghana and in Boston.<\/p>\n<p>Romas was up all night trying to fix the issue with the company. The morning of the game, a representative wrote in an email, &#8220;There has been an error in our system and the only thing we can do is to offer a refund.&#8221; He was devastated, not only over the prospect of missing the game, but disappointing his son.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;\u200aWe fly to a different country to come to this game and he was so excited, and then he goes to bed thinking that he&#8217;s probably not gonna go, which was heartbreaking for me,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Romas ended up buying another pair of tickets through FIFA. By then, the cost for two seats togetherhad skyrocketed. So, he said he and his son had to sit separately for the game.<\/p>\n<div id=\"resg-s1-130333\" class=\"bucketwrap image medium\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 1536;--source-height: 2048\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1536x2048+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd3%2Fe0%2F5df3dc2e4c10a5e4020451dbe3cc%2F64340313-ef8f-48c0-aeb5-c342b5d44310.jpeg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1536x2048+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd3%2Fe0%2F5df3dc2e4c10a5e4020451dbe3cc%2F64340313-ef8f-48c0-aeb5-c342b5d44310.jpeg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Brett Romas and his son were unable to sit together for a World Cup match after their original tickets never arrived and Romas had to scramble for new tickets at the last minute.\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Brett Romas and his son were unable to sit together for a World Cup match after their original tickets never arrived and Romas had to scramble for new tickets at the last minute.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Brett Romas<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Brett Romas<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;It went from two seats beside each other in section 115 to two seats that were a row and five seats apart and in section 635,&#8221; Romas said.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"edTag\"><strong>Not just a World Cup problem<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>StubHub said a majority of its ticket transfers have been successful and the company was actively working with FIFA to prevent further technical issues.<\/p>\n<p>John Breyault, vice president at the National Consumers League, a consumer advocacy group, said the issue of missing tickets is not unique to the World Cup and it&#8217;s happened before at other live events. He said it&#8217;s often a result of ticket resellers listing seats for sale before they actually possess them. This is called speculative ticketing.<\/p>\n<p>StubHub, SeatGeek and Vivid Seats have rules prohibiting the sale of speculative tickets. They also say they penalize sellers who fail to deliver their tickets, from imposing fees to a possible account suspension.<\/p>\n<p>Breyault argued that company policies don&#8217;t adequately protect the consumer and there needs to be more safeguards to prevent such practices. And while major ticketing companies offer refunds when tickets fall through, Breyault said it&#8217;s cold comfort for fans who looked forward to the event and doled out money on travel and lodging.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;\u200aA refund, particularly for an event like the World Cup which is once in a lifetime, is not gonna cut it for most fans,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They want to get in and see the game as they thought they were going to.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"resnx-s1-5871397-102\" class=\"bucketwrap internallink insettwocolumn inset2col \">\n<div class=\"bucket img\">\n                  <a class=\"imagewrap\" id=\"featuredStackSquareImagenx-s1-5803486\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/04\/30\/nx-s1-5803486\/fifa-world-cup-soccer-football-tickets\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/04\/30\/nx-s1-5803486\/fifa-world-cup-soccer-football-tickets\"}'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3024x3024+0+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8e%2F51%2Ff91677db4f2dab2c0708a4834dca%2Fty-world-cup.jpg\" data-original=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3024x3024+0+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/100\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8e%2F51%2Ff91677db4f2dab2c0708a4834dca%2Fty-world-cup.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3024x3024+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8e%2F51%2Ff91677db4f2dab2c0708a4834dca%2Fty-world-cup.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\" class=\"img lazyOnLoad\" alt=\"These fans are boycotting the World Cup. Will they make it a bust?\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a>         <\/p>\n<div class=\"bucketblock\">\n<h3 class=\"slug\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/series\/g-s1-98388\/soccer-edition\">Soccer Edition <\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/04\/30\/nx-s1-5803486\/fifa-world-cup-soccer-football-tickets\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"recirculation\",\"action\":\"story_recirculation_click\",\"clickType\":\"inset box\",\"clickUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/04\/30\/nx-s1-5803486\/fifa-world-cup-soccer-football-tickets\"}'>These fans are boycotting the World Cup. Will they make it a bust?<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETBLOCK\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKET IMG\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"RESNX-S1-5871397-102\" CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP INTERNALLINK INSETTWOCOLUMN INSET2COL \" --><\/p>\n<p>McNicholas from New Jersey doesn&#8217;t know the next time he will have a chance to attend a World Cup match. The entire ordeal has left him feeling bitter about FIFA and secondary resale markets.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;\u200aWe&#8217;ve spent so much time, money and effort to get where we&#8217;re at \u2014 to actually just have the carpet pulled away from under us is a major disappointment,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"share-tools share-tools--secondary\" aria-label=\"Share tools\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--facebook\"><button class=\"fbStorynx-s1-5871397\" data-share-facebook='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5871397\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"facebook\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Facebook<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--flipboard\"><button class=\"storynx-s1-5871397\" data-share-flipboard='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5871397\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"flipboard\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Flipboard<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--email\"><button class=\"share-tools__email-link\" data-story-id=\"nx-s1-5871397\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"email\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Email<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"SHARE-TOOLS SHARE-TOOLS-SECONDARY\" ARIA-LABEL=\"SHARE TOOLS\" --><br \/>\n<!-- END ID=\"NEWSLETTER-ACQUISITION-CALLOUT-DATA\" DATA-NEWSLETTER=\"{&amp;QUOT;NEWSLETTERID&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;MONEY&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;TITLE&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;PLANET MONEY&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;MARKETINGHEADER&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;SIGN UP FOR THE PLANET MONEY NEWSLETTER&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;FREQUENCY&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;EVERY WEEK&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;SHORTDESCRIPTION&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;THE WORLD IS CONFUSING. 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JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ECONOMICS, SENT WEEKLY.&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;CONTENTIMAGE&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;HTTPS:\/\/NPR.BRIGHTSPOTCDN.COM\/13\/E2\/47D3EBE64FB99C00127695E97779\/PLANETMONEYS.PNG&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;STATICMARKUPDIR&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;\/BUCKETS\/BLOGS\/MONEY\/SUBNAV.HTML&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;BRANDINGDIR&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;\/BRANDING\/SECTIONS\/MONEY\/&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;BRANDINGLINK&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;HTTPS:\/\/WWW.NPR.ORG\/SECTIONS\/MONEY\/&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;RECAPTCHASITEKEY&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;6LCDN9IZAAAAAOHT985BJJBZJKBJKSXDXK3GEKST&amp;QUOT;}\" --><br \/>\n<!-- END ID=\"CALLOUT-END-OF-STORY-MOUNT\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"callout-end-of-story-mount-piano-wrap\" class=\"callout-end-of-story-mount-piano-wrap\">\n<!-- END ID=\"CALLOUT-END-OF-STORY-MOUNT-PIANO\" CLASS=\"CALLOUT-END-OF-STORY-MOUNT-PIANO\" -->\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"CALLOUT-END-OF-STORY-MOUNT-PIANO-WRAP\" CLASS=\"CALLOUT-END-OF-STORY-MOUNT-PIANO-WRAP\" --><br \/>\n<!-- END ID=\"END-OF-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" CLASS=\"RECOMMENDED-STORIES RECOMMENDED-STORIES-PIANO\" ARIA-LABEL=\"RECOMMENDED STORIES\" --><br \/>\n<!-- END ID=\"END-OF-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT\" CLASS=\"RECOMMENDED-STORIES\" ARIA-LABEL=\"RECOMMENDED STORIES\" --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>World Cup fans are missing games after their resale tickets fall through June 26, 202612:13 PM ET Juliana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4700\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}