Can you buy tickets to World Cup games on Ticketmaster, StubHub?

World Cup fanslooking forlast-minute ticketsmight find those posted on FIFA's website prohibitively expensive — but those turning to the comparatively cheaper listings on third-party sites could be questioning their legitimacy.

Tickets on FIFA's website, which is the only platformthe organization outright endorses, cost tens of thousands of dollars for matches in U.S. host cities, including over $11,000 for games taking place in Miami.

Meanwhile, as of April 22, tickets sold via Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and StubHub are priced at around $300, at the lowest, for some Miami matches. Is it too good to be true?

With World Cup qualifying now complete, national teams around the globe are turning their attention toward soccer's biggest tournament.

These are 12 incredible players to watch as they represent their countries on the World Cup stage.

Above, Sweden’s Alexander Isak plays for his national team. The forward is set to be one of the key figures for Sweden at the World Cup as he continues his role leading the attack for club and country.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ermedin Demirovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Iraq's forward Ayman Hussein, left.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

12 incredible soccer stars you need to follow in the World Cup

With World Cup qualifying now complete, national teams around the globe are turning their attention towardsoccer's biggest tournament.These are 12 incredible players to watch as they represent their countries on the World Cup stage.Above, Sweden’s Alexander Isak plays for his national team. The forward is set to be one of the key figures for Sweden at the World Cup as he continues his role leading the attack for club and country.

Can I buy FIFA World Cup tickets through other vendors?

According to FIFA's website, there are risks to buying tickets from third-party sites, and the organization "strongly recommend[s]" making purchases only through FIFA.com/tickets.

"Tickets sold on unofficial resale websites, social media, or through third-party vendors may be fake. These fraudulent tickets can look legitimate but may be rejected at the stadium gate, leaving you without entry on match day," the website states.

Are FIFA World Cup tickets on SeatGeek, StubHub legit?

USA TODAY reached out to confirm the legitimacy of the tickets being resold on third-party platforms. According to representatives for StubHub and SeatGeek, both platforms have buyer protections in place.

According to its website, SeatGeek promises to either refund the buyer, provide new, valid tickets or credit for future use, "where applicable," if tickets do not provide valid entry to the event. StubHub also has a guarantee in place, according to a company spokesperson: "valid entry or their money back."

"Every listing goes through fraud prevention review before going live, sellers don't get paid until buyers successfully enter the event, and we have a dedicated team doing additional reviews specifically for World Cup inventory," the spokesperson wrote in an email to USA TODAY. "Less than 0.2% of orders have any issues at the door. This is our fifth consecutive World Cup, and we're proud to be the trusted option for a once-in-a-generation event."

Advertisement

Have 2026 World Cup tickets been sold? Are they still available?

Yes, as of April 22, last-minute tickets are available now atFIFA.com/tickets.

How expensive are World Cup tickets via FIFA's website?

As of April 22, tickets for the Miami games start at $11,750 per ticket.

To compare, Philadelphia games start at $8,650, while New York/New Jersey games start at $25,800. Outside of the United States, tickets to Mexico City games start at $20,170 USD, and tickets to Vancouver start at $17,183 USD.

How to not get ripped off buying resold tickets online

Ticketing scams are more likely for popular events, including World Cup games. Some red flags for ticket scams, like suspiciously low prices, are pretty obvious, but others are less recognizable.

Here are some red flags that could mean you're getting ripped off,according to Eventbrite:

• Deeply discounted tickets

• Any deal that seems too good to be true

• Sellers reaching out to you

• Payment methods with no protection (cash, gift cards, peer-to-peer payment apps)

• Third-party websites

• Look-alike sites/links designed to look similar to a legitimate ticket marketplace (check the website URL to ensure it’s the real website)

• Odd language, misspelled words, or awkward phrasing

• Sellers asking you to DM or text them right away

Here's a list of common concert ticket scams, according to Eventbrite:

• Sold-out tickets on secondary markets: “Any sold-out event has a high likelihood of attracting scammers. Scammers will advertise tickets to sold-out shows on social media, Craigslist, FB Marketplace, OfferUp, and even specific community message boards (like an NFL subreddit). But the chances are, they never had real tickets in the first place.”

• Discounted tickets on social media: “Scammers often advertise tickets for sale on social media. In 2022, scams initiated on social media led to consumer losses of a whopping $1.2 billion. It’s best to be wary of any person selling tickets to an event unless you know or trust them."

• Fake ticket websites: “Some scammers create fake websites to sell counterfeit tickets. Some of these sites are designed to look similar to legit sites, like Ticketmaster. Others are designed to replicate the artist’s or performer’s official website. Others may use fake emails from a spoofed email address to mimic a legitimate email sender."

• Duplicate ticket scams: “Sometimes, scammers purchase a real ticket and then resell multiple copies of the same ticket to several buyers. Since many platforms sell digital tickets, this can be as simple as forwarding the ticket confirmation email or taking pictures of tickets or the event QR code."

• Seat scams: “Seat scams occur when people sell you real tickets to an event but advertise them as a different type of event ticket. For instance, they may sell general admission tickets but advertise them as premium/VIP seats. When you arrive at the event, you realize that you overpaid! This can also happen when people sell group tickets but fail to mention that the seats aren’t located next to each other."

Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team.Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect Team.You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter,Florida TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:World Cup tickets are cheaper on resale sites. Are they real?