FIFA Ticket Website Glitch Traps Fans in Wrong Queue — 90-Minute Chaos at Last-Minute Sales Launch

The FIFA last-minute ticket sales phase was marred on April 2 by a significant technical failure. When fans logged on at 11:00 AM ET, FIFA's published links routed buyers into the 'PMA late qualifier supporters sales phase' — a completely separate window reserved for fans of the six newly-qualified teams. Fans sat in the wrong queue for 90+ minutes with no explanation or redirect. FIFA acknowledged around noon that links were 'working properly' but issued no formal apology for the error. The glitch intensified ongoing fan anger over ticket pricing. The FIFA official resale marketplace also reopened on April 2, allowing eligible ticket holders to resell unwanted seats — immediately drawing criticism as a revenue mechanism that legitimizes secondary-market price gouging. US Congress members' letter calling the tournament 'the most financially exclusionary ever' gained renewed attention following the chaos.