A German court has ordered FIFA to stop what it described as "manipulative processes" in the sale of 2026 World Cup tickets, granting a preliminary injunction to online resale platform Ticombo on Wednesday.

What the Frankfurt court ruled

The Frankfurt regional court instructed FIFA to cease facilitating ticket sales without disclosing the identity and address of commercial sellers to buyers before a purchase is completed. FIFA did not appear before the court, and the injunction is limited to Germany — meaning it carries no practical effect on the tournament currently under way in the United States. Ticombo has confirmed it will now attempt to pursue the case in Switzerland, which will take considerably longer.

The 15% commission model

The case shines a light on the financial structure underpinning FIFA's official secondary ticketing market. Unlike in the UK, where reselling tickets at a profit is illegal, ticket touting is lawful in the United States. FIFA has capitalised on that by charging 15% commission from both the seller and the buyer on every resale transaction — effectively earning three payments from a single ticket. With demand exceptionally high and prices on the secondary market climbing into the tens of thousands of pounds for some fixtures, the sums involved are substantial.

Allegations of manipulative design

In its submission to the Frankfurt court, Ticombo laid out a series of specific complaints about FIFA's last-minute sales platform. These included:

  • Bait-and-switch pricing — where tickets appear significantly cheaper at the start of the purchase process before prices automatically rise at checkout.
  • Aggressive countdown timers — buyers are given a non-resettable six-minute window to complete a purchase, with the session locked out if they fail to do so.
  • Manipulative defaults — a "book the best seat" function was said to automatically select the most expensive available option, removing meaningful consumer choice.
  • Concealed pricing — individual ticket prices were reportedly not clearly shown until after a selection had already been made.

Wider political pressure

The German court ruling is not an isolated grievance. In May, the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey launched a separate investigation into FIFA's ticketing practices at MetLife Stadium — which will host Sunday's final — after fans complained they had been misled about the location of their seats. New York attorney general Letitia James stated that buyers should be able to trust that the tickets they purchase are the ones they actually receive.

An eye on 2030

Ticombo acknowledges the injunction has arrived too late to alter anything at this tournament. The company's stated aim is to pressure FIFA into changing its practices ahead of the 2030 World Cup, the majority of which is scheduled to take place in Spain and Portugal — jurisdictions where consumer protection laws may be applied rather differently than in the United States. Whether that pressure translates into any meaningful reform from a governing body that earned significant sums from the current model remains an open question. The market, for what it is worth, continues to price in considerable uncertainty around FIFA's willingness to change.

Frequently asked

What has FIFA been told to stop doing by the German court?
The Frankfurt regional court has ordered FIFA to stop facilitating ticket sales without first telling buyers the identity and address of any commercial seller before the purchase is completed. The injunction applies only in Germany and has no practical effect on the 2026 World Cup in the United States.
How much commission does FIFA charge on World Cup ticket resales?
FIFA charges 15% commission from both the seller and the buyer on every resale transaction through its official secondary ticketing market, meaning it effectively earns three separate payments from a single ticket.
Will this injunction affect the 2026 World Cup final?
No. Ticombo, the German company that brought the case, has acknowledged the ruling came too late to affect the current tournament. It intends to pursue further legal action in Switzerland with a view to influencing FIFA's practices ahead of the 2030 World Cup.