Dozens of ticket buyers have expressed anger and disappointment after their World Cup soccer game tickets, purchased through the resale platform StubHub, were canceled at the last minute. These cancellations have sparked widespread criticism on social media and raised concerns about "ghost ticketing" and speculative practices in the secondary market.
Fans like Jeremy and Sarah Wright, who traveled from Austin, Texas, to Dallas for a match on June 14, received an email from StubHub just five hours before kickoff stating their tickets could not be delivered. Although the email mentioned StubHub's "FanProtect Guarantee" and offered new tickets at no extra cost, the only option presented was a refund, leaving the Wrights unable to attend the game.
Similarly, Dacy Gillespie, who bought tickets for her sons' game, faced a similar situation, receiving a cancellation email from StubHub on matchday after traveling from St. Louis to Kansas City. These experiences are part of a larger pattern of last-minute cancellations affecting numerous fans.
StubHub, which is not an official ticketing partner for the World Cup, stated that order cancellations are due to delivery issues from sellers. A spokesperson for the platform pointed to FIFA's ticketing infrastructure as a contributing factor affecting ticket transfers across all resale platforms.
FIFA, the world soccer governing body, has maintained that its official World Cup ticketing platform is operating reliably and is the only channel that guarantees proper ticket delivery. FIFA has cautioned fans to use only its official resale platform, where it charges a 30% commission on resold tickets, a practice it says aligns with industry standards. FIFA has rejected suggestions that its infrastructure is responsible for issues on third-party platforms.
Experts describe the core issue as "speculative ticketing," a practice where sellers list tickets they do not yet possess, hoping to acquire them at a lower price to fulfill the order and profit. Scott Friedman, a ticketing expert, likened the practice to shorting the stock market. He explained that with World Cup ticket prices rising as the tournament neared, speculative sellers were unable to fulfill orders without taking a loss.
StubHub's official policy prohibits speculative ticketing, but Friedman noted that "ghost tickets" remain common because sellers are not always required to provide seat numbers when listing tickets. Jeremy Wright's ticket purchase in September 2025, before FIFA's initial sales draw, suggests his tickets were likely listed by a speculator, as only the seating category was listed, not specific seat numbers.
Following public outcry and viral social media posts, StubHub has responded to affected customers. The Wrights were offered complimentary seats to a semi-final game, while Gillespie received $3,000 to help cover the cost of replacement tickets. A StubHub spokesperson stated the company has established a dedicated World Cup support team and is working to source replacement tickets for customers.
However, the ticketing issues could pose a significant long-term threat to StubHub's brand reputation, according to Marsha-Gaye Knight, a professor at the NYU Tisch Institute for Global Sport. The company has also recently faced regulatory scrutiny in the UK and the U.S. for deceptive pricing practices.
Some fans are calling for legislative action. The National Independent Venue Association and the fan advocacy group Fan Alliance have urged U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson to consider a ban on the sale of ghost tickets on resale platforms.