World Cup Tickets Fifa: Unexpected FIFA sales window deepens confusion as prices surge
FIFA sent a wave of unexpected emails offering an “exclusive additional chance to purchase” world cup tickets fifa, but many messages lacked the crucial timing details and directed fans to a closed Web Shop Portal. The misstep landed amid already soaring resale prices and a tiny allocation of $60 entry-level seats, intensifying frustration for fans trying to secure seats.
Random Selection Draw and World Cup Tickets Fifa access
FIFA had already held a Random Selection Draw — its third and final lottery — that attracted more than 500 million ticket requests. The random selection draw for early ticket sales wrapped up last month and tickets were distributed to winners last week, during which the organization’s president, Gianni Infantino, said “every match is sold out” while also noting some tickets had been held back “for some last-minute sales. ” A spokesperson confirmed that a limited number of additional single-match tickets have become available following the conclusion of the Random Selection Draw, and that emails about these tickets were sent to applicants who were unsuccessful in the lottery.
Email timing and the Web Shop Portal
Fans began receiving the first emails around 9 a. m. ET on Tuesday. Many messages advertised “Your exclusive ticket window” and said “opens this week!” but failed to fill in the start time, stating instead: “Your exclusive 48-hour access window(s) will start at: ” followed by a blank space. Each email included a link to “Log in to purchase tickets, ” but that link led to a notice that “the Web Shop Portal closes on 22 February 2026” — two days ago — “and will reopen on 2 April 2026” — in more than a month. For hours after the initial emails landed, FIFA spokespeople did not offer an explanation. Around 2 p. m. ET some fans then received amended emails that included a specific time slot: tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 25, with the earliest slots beginning at 11 a. m. ET.
Host City(ies) named in amended emails
The amended messages that did include times also specified Host City(ies). Some recipients were told the window related to matches in Dallas, Philadelphia, Kansas City or Guadalajara. Other fans reported receiving time slots for Boston, Toronto, Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is unclear whether all listed cities, or only some, will be part of this short-notice sales window. Fans who originally applied for Miami and New York New Jersey reported they had not received Tuesday afternoon emails with time slots.
Resale prices, $60 entry-level allocation and local impact
Price pressure has already made some matches effectively out of reach. KSAT published on February 23, 2026 at 11: 39 AM that aside from a small fraction of fans who secured one of the limited $60 entry-level tickets, the cost of attending games has climbed steeply, especially on the resale market. SeatGeek listings for a San Antonio fan hoping to catch a round of 16 match in Houston showed the cheapest seats going for more than $700 each. Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative, calculated that four seats at that rate would equal nearly six months of health insurance premiums on the marketplace for a typical family, and said bluntly that “FIFA controls both the primary market and the resale market, where ticket prices have been even higher. And FIFA is profiting handsomely or getting quite a bit of revenue from the resales market. ” Owens added that FIFA did ultimately offer a small number of tickets at an entry-level price of $60, but that this amounted to 1. 6% of total World Cup tickets. With demand expected to be massive and supply fixed, resale prices continue to climb; even parking in Houston during match days was listed at as much as $270. KSAT noted that for fans seeking a cheaper live-sports option, San Antonio Spurs tickets can be found for around $30. Copyright 2026 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Stephanie Serna is a weekday anchor on Good Morning San Antonio and GMSA at 9 a. m.; she joined the KSAT 12 News team in November 2009 as a general assignments reporter. Justin Rodriguez is an editor at KSAT 12.
Fan reaction, social media and broader messaging
Tuesday’s incomplete emails and the unexpected sales phase are the latest saga in a World Cup ticketing process that has been riddled with confusion. Fans flooded Reddit, TikTok and other social media platforms and circulated screenshots through WhatsApp groups, asking what had gone wrong. For hours there was no public clarification; some fans received fuller emails only hours later. The exchange amplified anxieties already tied to high prices and limited availability.
Access barriers on news platforms
At the same time, some readers encountered technical prompts on news sites reminding them to use current browsers. One notice on a news site stated that the publisher built its site to take advantage of the latest technology to make it faster and easier to use, then warned: “Unfortunately, your browser is not supported. Please download one of these browsers for the best experience on usatoday. com. ”
What makes this notable is the convergence of opaque timing, a sudden release of a limited stock of tickets and steep resale costs: an outreach intended to reward fans who demonstrated interest has collided with a market where only a small share of seats was priced at an entry-level $60, leaving many hopeful buyers to contend with short notice and prohibitive prices.
An image credit attached to early coverage read: Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images. Certain details about which matches or seats are included in the short-notice windows remain unclear in the provided context.
