Source:REUTERS/Gaby Oraa
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, FIFA will charge both sellers and buyers a 15% fee each on its official ticket resale platform for the 2026 World Cup. In previous World Cups, FIFA capped resale prices at the original face value and charged lower fees, typically 10% or less. For the 2026 tournament, adapting to the relatively unregulated secondary markets in the US and Canada, FIFA has chosen not to cap resale prices. However, in Mexico, where ticket resale laws are stricter and the government lobbied for price caps, FIFA has agreed to limit prices on its ticket exchange platform to the original face value. What was not clarified by the FIFA spokesperson at the time was the percentage FIFA would take from all resales. Recently, one day after primary market sales opened, fans discovered that FIFA will charge sellers 15% of their revenue (termed a “resale fee” in FIFA’s terms) and will additionally charge buyers an extra 15% of the listed price (termed a “purchase fee”). For example, if a ticket is sold for $1000, the seller receives $850, and FIFA collects $150. The buyer, however, pays $1150, which includes the $850 to the seller, the $150 “resale fee” to FIFA, plus an additional $150 “purchase fee” to FIFA. In other words, for every $100 worth of tickets resold on FIFA’s platform, FIFA gains an additional $30 in revenue.