The atmosphere inside Atlanta’s World Cup matches so far has been electric, featuring pulse-pounding moments.
But for an unlucky few, they had to settle for listening to the elated crowds from outside the temporarily renamed Atlanta Stadium despite paying to get in. The tickets they bought through third-party websites never materialized.
“I didn’t want a refund, I didn’t want my money back,” Bina Ramroop told the Associated Press after the tickets she bought for the Spain-Cape Verde game through StubHub were never transferred, leading to a refund. “I wanted to go to the game.”
Credit: AP Photo/Emilie Megnien
Credit: AP Photo/Emilie Megnien
The World Cup group stage was marred for fans whose experiences mirrored Ramroop’s, leading FIFA and third-party platforms like StubHub to point fingers at each other amid the fallout. That was when the matchups had been known months in advance and tickets were relatively affordable, even if prices set records compared to prior World Cups.
Ticket resales are projected to increase as the tournament’s knockout stage approaches and the remaining schedule is set in stone, including Atlanta’s final three matches. The uptick in tickets changing hands as fans follow their favorite teams also raises the stakes of any transfer troubles, especially as the cheapest entry prices start to cost thousands of dollars.
As of 7 a.m. Monday, the cheapest tickets to see Atlanta’s round of 16 match was $1,844, according to price tracking website Ticketdata.com. For the July 15 semifinal in Atlanta, that price was $3,654.
Keith Pagello, founder of Ticketdata.com, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that fans have to weigh their choices between FIFA’s official resale marketplace, which carries a 15% surcharge to both the buyer and seller, or the risk inherit to other third-party sellers.
“They can’t put a gun to a seller’s head and make them produce tickets,” he said of third-party websites.
Ticket verification
This is the first World Cup in which FIFA has used what it calls “variable pricing.” Also known as dynamic pricing, it’s when prices fluctuate based on demand.
It’s a controversial decision that the Guardian reported involved FIFA brass overruling U.S.-based staff, which initially favored a ticket strategy that emphasized affordable pricing in general admission areas. FIFA leaders have defended the decision, saying it’s a reflection of the North American market.
It’s also the first time FIFA has allowed third-party resale websites, such as StubHub, Ticketmaster and VividSeats, to operate with no price caps, leading to record-high prices.
Stephen Parker, executive director of the National Independent Venue Association, told the AJC it’s also created an avenue for bad actors to abuse third-party platforms, which he claims aren’t doing enough to stop it. He said they need “to grow a conscience and actually verify the tickets that are on their sites, which we don’t believe they’re largely doing right now.”
Parker’s organization, along with the Fan Alliance, recently penned a joint letter to Congress calling on lawmakers to ban speculative and ghost tickets, which is when resellers advertise tickets for sale they don’t actually have.
StubHub denies such practices happen on its platform, blaming FIFA for “poor technology infrastructure” that led to high-profile issues during the World Cup’s early matches. FIFA says sales through its official site are guaranteed to go though.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
“As we head into the knockout stage, buyers should transfer their tickets as early as possible once they receive them,” a StubHub spokesperson told the AJC. “The event organizer’s app can have download delays close to kickoff even after a transfer is accepted. Buyers should also confirm transfer completion well ahead of game day rather than the day of.”
VividSeats said in a statement that “nearly 100% of 2026 World Cup tickets sold on our platform have been delivered on time.”
SeatGeek, another popular third-party platform, did not respond to a request for comment.
In a social media thread posted Wednesday, Ticketmaster Global President Saumil Mehta said it has “fallen short on just 20 orders across the tournament.” Mehta added that Ticketmaster doesn’t include speculative listings, requiring every listed ticket to have a section, row and seat.
Penalties for sellers who fail to produce promised tickets are hefty, typically ranging from 200% to 400% of the ticket price depending on the platform.
Parker, however, said that creates a “perverse incentive” where these companies could make more money by allowing sales to fall through. He called for those penalties instead to compensate scorned customers for their travel accommodations.
‘Demand climbs sharply’
Using the group stage as a guide, ticket prices are also poised to fluctuate wildly, especially when teams are mid-match.
Pagello of Ticketdata.com pointed to the U.S. men’s national team’s June 19 match against Australia as a prime example. With a win, the U.S. guaranteed it would play in San Francisco on Wednesday. Resale tickets skyrocketed during the Australia match as the U.S. pulled ahead and punched its ticket to start the elimination round in the Bay Area.
Pagello said that rippled through all matches where Team USA could play if they kept winning.
“Once your first position in the bracket is set, you see what all the other positions would be,” he said. “So even the second match in Seattle (on July 6) also had a really big spike as USA was locked in first place of Group D.”
That’s been visible with Atlanta’s matches as well. When Algeria beat Jordan on June 22, it cemented the path of the Lionel Messi-led Argentina squad through the rest of the World Cup tournament, including a potential round of 16 match in Atlanta on July 7. Resale ticket prices immediately shot up by $300, according to Ticketdata.com.
Credit: AP Photo/Julio Cortez
Credit: AP Photo/Julio Cortez
Prices have since receded on some of those matches, showing volatility remains. StubHub said Atlanta’s remaining matches are poised to have strong demand from both domestic and international fans.
“It’s the most domestic World Cup market in the U.S., with the overwhelming majority of buyers coming from Georgia and the surrounding Southeast,” StubHub said of Atlanta in a statement. “At the same time, international demand climbs sharply in the knockout rounds as fans from qualifying nations book travel once the bracket is set.”
Mario Castañeda, digital marketing manager for ticket website Ticombo, agreed, telling the AJC that the resale market heats up when matchups are finalized.
“Some fans will be looking for last-minute access, while others may need to resell tickets if their team is eliminated or if the match location no longer works for them,” he said in an email.
He added that prices will likely only get more expensive “as the tournament moves from group-stage uncertainty into higher-stakes knockout matches, where fans begin making faster travel and ticketing decisions once matchups become clearer.”
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