Full Breakdown
StubHub Faces Surge of World Cup Ticketing Complaints
8/12/2026, 11:48:41 PM
Core Event
Fans who purchased World Cup tickets through StubHub months in advance report being denied entry or receiving inferior replacement tickets just hours before matches. A proposed class-action lawsuit has been filed in federal court in Manhattan alleging that StubHub sold hundreds of resale tickets it was neither authorized to sell nor able to deliver.
Background and Recent Complaints
According to Hanna Krueger of the *Wall Street Journal*, the complaints represent a “flood” of consumer grievances tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. StubHub attributes the disruptions to technical obstacles with FIFA’s mobile-ticket app. Over the past three years, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has recorded 11,338 complaints against the company, with a notable spike in filings since the start of 2024. More than 50 purchasers interviewed by the *Wall Street Journal* described being turned away at venues despite holding tickets that appeared valid, receiving replacement tickets of lower value, or enduring months of effort to obtain promised refunds.
Data on Consumer Grievances
- BBB complaints: 11,338 total, sharply increasing after early 2024.
- Interviewed buyers: >50 reported entry denial, inferior replacements, or delayed refunds.
- StubHub’s own estimate: roughly 1 % of orders end in a refund, according to a company spokesperson.
Company Response and Operational Challenges
StubHub’s spokesperson emphasized that refunds affect only a small fraction of transactions. The company also cited difficulties with FIFA’s ticket-validation system as a primary cause of the issues. Current and former StubHub employees, speaking to the *Wall Street Journal*, indicated that customer-support resources have become insufficient to address the fallout when problems arise.
Potential Legal Action
The Manhattan class-action filing seeks redress for consumers who purchased tickets that were allegedly sold without proper authorization and could not be delivered. Plaintiffs allege that StubHub’s practices violated consumer-protection laws, and the case may set precedent for how secondary-ticket platforms handle large-scale event ticketing failures.
