FIFA updated its official marketplace rules Wednesday to prohibit resale of World Cup tickets for matches in Toronto above their original face value, bringing the platform into compliance with Ontario law just one week after the tickets were removed from the site entirely.
Ontario's "Putting Fans First Act" bans any person from making a ticket available on the secondary market for more than its original price. Under FIFA's revised terms, a ticket to a match at Toronto Stadium cannot be listed on the platform for more than the amount originally paid to FIFA Ticketing, even if that ticket was previously purchased on the marketplace above face value.
Tickets for the other 15 World Cup venues across Canada, the United States, and Mexico are not subject to the same restriction and can still be listed above face value on the official marketplace.
The rule change came amid widespread criticism of FIFA's overall pricing structure. Fan organization Football Supporters Europe branded the pricing structure "extortionate" and a "monumental betrayal." Last week, FIFA Marketplace listed four tickets to the July 19 final in New York for more than $2 million each.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the prices earlier this week, arguing that the governing body was obliged to take advantage of U.S. laws that allow tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value.
Despite the pricing controversy, FIFA said more than five million tickets had been sold as of April 20 for the June 11 to July 19 tournament. Still, seats remain unsold for numerous group-stage matches. Tickets for the U.S. opener against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles start at $1,120 and reach as high as $4,105, with hospitality packages going up to $6,050 per seat.
The 2026 tournament is the largest in World Cup history, with 48 nations competing across 104 matches at 16 venues over 39 days. The tournament opens June 11 at Mexico City Stadium and concludes July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which FIFA has renamed the New York New Jersey Stadium for the event. Argentina enters as defending champion, while Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will make their first appearances at the finals.
