StubHub sued by World Cup fans over ticket cancellations

Ticket marketplace StubHub is facing a class-action lawsuit in the United States from thousands of World Cup soccer ticket purchasers who never received their tickets. The lawsuit alleges the reseller engaged in deceptive sales practices, leaving fans without tickets they had secured for various matches.

California residents Julia Reeker Moghal and Reuben Renteria filed the suit against the ticketing giant in federal court in New York, claiming its inability to fulfill orders "crushed their dreams" of attending the World Cup. They allege hundreds, potentially thousands, of fans purchased tickets that were found to be non-existent, revoked without notice, or voided due to what organizer FIFA termed "poor digital infrastructure."

The plaintiffs seek damages, a ban on StubHub selling World Cup tickets, and the return of profits from those sales to affected customers. StubHub declined to comment on the litigation but stated its "singular goal is to get fans into events" and that its "FanProtect Guarantee provides replacement tickets or a full refund." The company also pointed to issues with the organizer's infrastructure as a cause.

FIFA has previously encouraged fans to buy tickets through its own marketplace, adding a 30% surcharge. FIFA has denied that its own ticketing infrastructure is responsible for functional issues on third-party platforms. Fans have for weeks complained on social media about missing tickets, last-minute cancellations, and difficulties resolving issues between FIFA's platform and external resellers.