The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just 50 days away, with the first match in Toronto taking place on June 12.
To avoid falling for scams, FIFA is advising soccer fans to buy and sell using the official “FIFA Resale/Exchange Marketplace.”
However, one Canadian fan who sold her tickets through the website told CTV News that she was experiencing delays getting the payment.
Vanessa Policheni and her husband, Paul, of Concord, Ont., are huge soccer fans and were very excited about the chance to see a World Cup match.
She entered the lottery for a chance to buy tickets and in October, she was able to buy four tickets to a game in Boston.
“Unfortunately, when we did purchase those tickets, Toronto was already sold out so we went with Boston,” said Policheni.
Policheni purchased the four tickets for her husband and two friends for a total of $1,720. They later discovered the match would be between Haiti and Scotland and made the decision to sell the tickets, hoping to use the funds to try and get to a game in Toronto.
Policheni told CTV News she followed all the right steps and sold the tickets through the “FIFA website.” However, months went by and she still didn’t receive her refund.
“We did post them on December 16th, and they did sell within minutes," Policheni said.
The tickets rose in price and FIFA charged the seller and buyer a 15 per cent fee. Policheni said she was to receive $3,128.
According to the FIFA website, it could take up to 60 days to receive the funds, but three months went by and after countless calls and emails, Policheni said she had no idea when or if she would get her money back.
“I really don’t know what’s going on and I’m just very disappointed,” said Policheni, adding, “Now we have no tickets and we have no refund. I don’t want this to drag on any further.”
CTV News also reached out to FIFA with calls and emails, but we did not get a response.
Fans in other countries have faced similar delays in getting refunds.
Days after CTV News contacted FIFA, Policheni said the money appeared in her bank account 91 days after the tickets were sold.
She received $3,095.50.
Policheni said she was relieved and hopes to use the money to help her husband see a World Cup match in Toronto for his birthday.
“I really appreciate a platform like CTV News,” said Policheni. “I hope he gets to go and he will be using that money towards those tickets.”
Despite the glitch, FIFA said it’s a platform designed to protect both buyers and sellers and is the safest way to make sure your tickets are legitimate and you don’t get scammed.
