FIFA takes down Toronto World Cup selling tickets after new laws limit ticket prices
FIFA has taken World Cup tickets for games at Toronto’s BMO Field stadium off of their official trading marketplace. This is because Ontario, Canada, passed a law last week that makes it illegal to sell event tickets for more than their face value.
The ‘Putting Fans First Act’ bill says that no one can sell a ticket on the secondary market or help someone sell a ticket on the secondary market for more than the price value of the ticket.
FIFA runs the official resale and swap marketplace for eligible ticket holders. The organization says the measure is to protect fans and is governed by federal and local laws. They have now taken action after Ontario’s 2026 budget bill was approved on Thursday.
On FIFA’s marketplace, you can buy tickets for all 15 other sites and all 16 games at the World Cup, except for the six games in Toronto, which includes Canada’s first game against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12.
As part of FIFA’s “last-minute sales phase,” face-value tickets are now on sale. More tickets will be made available to the public on a regular basis until the World Cup final on July 19, as long as there are seats available.
According to the most recent data from FIFA, more than five million tickets have already been sold. Just over six million tickets are expected to be sold for the event as a whole. However, FIFA has been criticized for setting prices, which is made worse by the fact that it uses the variable pricing method and the resale market.
People who own tickets can sell them again on FIFA’s market for any price. For example, one seller is asking almost $11.5 million for a Category 3 ticket to the final.
FIFA has defended its secondary market plan by saying that it is a non-profit organization and that any money it makes is used to help football grow around the world.
In line with Ontario’s new laws, tickets for the games in Toronto should be put back on FIFA’s marketplace.
From June 11 to July 15, the United States, Canada, and Mexico will host the World Cup.
