FIFA Pulled Thousands of Tickets Without Explanation—and Resale Prices Jumped

Days before the 2026 World Cup began, FIFA removed thousands of unsold tickets from its official website with no public statement. Resale prices, which had been declining for weeks amid oversupply, abruptly recovered after the disappearance. Fans speculated the inventory was distributed to sponsors or designed to create artificial scarcity. The timing raised questions about FIFA's control over secondary markets and tournament optics.