Two World Cup fans have filed a lawsuit against ticket reseller StubHub, accusing the company of false advertising and failing to deliver tickets or refunds for matches they purchased. The suit, filed last week in federal court in New York, seeks monetary damages and aims to halt StubHub from selling World Cup tickets. It also seeks to become a class action, joining growing customer complaints over StubHub’s handling of ticket sales.
The plaintiffs, Californians Julia Reeker Moghal and Reuben Renteria, allege that StubHub canceled their tickets only days or weeks before the scheduled matches, despite having paid significant amounts and made travel arrangements. Moghal said she bought three tickets for nearly $2,000 to the June 18 match between Switzerland and Bosnia-Herzegovina at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. She said StubHub initially confirmed the tickets were canceled but later promised they would be available one hour before kickoff. However, Moghal reported that no tickets were ever provided and she was unable to attend. Renteria said he paid about $2,300 for tickets to the June 18 Mexico vs. South Korea match in Guadalajara, Mexico, but faced similar last-minute cancellations.
Blake Hunter Yagman, the attorney representing the two fans, criticized StubHub for selling tickets that could not be delivered or were speculative, leaving many fans stranded at stadium gates without recourse. StubHub’s website promotes a Fan Protect Guarantee, pledging delivery of valid tickets or refunds, and assistance in finding comparable replacements. However, the lawsuit asserts that many replacement tickets offered were of inferior value.
FIFA, the World Cup organizer, states in its terms that its official platform, FIFA Marketplace, is the only authorized seller of legitimate World Cup tickets. Tickets purchased outside this platform, including on StubHub, are not guaranteed by FIFA. Many fans resorted to secondary markets like StubHub to avoid a 30% resale tax imposed by FIFA, trusting StubHub’s guarantee instead.
Ticket prices on the FIFA Marketplace have been widely criticized for their steep increases, driven by a dynamic pricing system, which prompted 69 U.S. lawmakers to call on FIFA to lower prices in March. For the upcoming match between Spain and Belgium at SoFi Stadium this Friday, StubHub is listing tickets for over $1,300.
StubHub has attributed the cancellations in statements and legal filings to ticket transfer issues and problems with FIFA’s ticketing infrastructure. FIFA has denied responsibility, stating it has no control over secondary market transactions and rejected claims that its own ticketing system caused the reported issues on third-party platforms.
StubHub did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit or customer complaints. Meanwhile, fans who purchased tickets through StubHub continue to voice frustration over the company’s handling of World Cup ticket sales.