Toronto World Cup tickets to be resold for face value on FIFA Marketplace

Tickets to World Cup matches in Toronto can now only be resold for their original price on FIFA’s official marketplace after football’s world governing body updated its policy to comply with the Ontario government’s recent ban on reselling event tickets above face value.

The new terms, implemented on Wednesday, came one week after tickets for six matches at Toronto Stadium were removed from the official marketplace in response to the Canadian province passing its 2026 budget bill.

Ontario’s “Putting Fans First Act” states no person can make a ticket available for sale on the secondary market or facilitate the sale of a ticket on the secondary market for an amount that exceeds the ticket’s original price.

Under FIFA’s updated terms, a ticket for a match at Toronto Stadium cannot be listed on its platform for a resale price higher than the original amount paid to FIFA Ticketing, even if that ticket was previously purchased on the marketplace above face value.

Tickets for matches at any of the other 15 venues can be listed above face value on the official resale and exchange marketplace, which FIFA says is designed to protect fans and is subject to federal and local regulations.

Earlier this week, FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices, insisting that football’s global governing body was obliged to take advantage of laws in the United States that allow tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value.

FIFA has faced searing criticism over the cost of World Cup tickets, with fan organisation Football Supporters Europe (FSE) branding the pricing structure “extortionate” and a “monumental betrayal”.

Just last week, FIFA Marketplace advertised four tickets to the July 19 final in New York at a cost of more than $2 million each.

As of April 20, FIFA said more than five million tickets had been sold for the June 11-July 19 tournament, which is being cohosted by Canada, the US and Mexico.

However, FIFA has struggled to sell out games, including host nation USA’s opener against Paraguay.

Seats remain available for most group-stage games, albeit at exorbitant prices.

Tickets for USA vs Paraguay start at $1,120 and go as high as $4,105, with many tickets priced at about $2,000 for the June 12 match in Los Angeles. Seats in the hospitality package groupings go as high as $6,050 per seat.

Tickets are still available on FIFA’s official website through its “last-minute sales” section.