When Jeremy Wright from Austin, Texas, asked his wife Sarah about her Christmas wish last year, her reply was clear. ‘I wanted to go to the World Cup and didn’t need anything else,’ Sarah told Newsweek. It was September 2025, and Jeremy admitted he was unaware of the official FIFA ballot process to purchase tickets. ‘I went online and looked up where to buy tickets,’ he told Newsweek. ‘StubHub popped up.’
StubHub has become a platform where fans buy and sell World Cup tickets they couldn’t get through FIFA. Wright spent $1,158 on two tickets for a game in Dallas. On Christmas Day, when he revealed this to Sarah, she was thrilled. The excitement grew when she learned they would watch Japan vs. the Netherlands. ‘I was excited because I have Dutch heritage,’ Sarah said. ‘So it was a team I could root for.’
The night before the game, the Wrights drove eight hours to Dallas, spending $800 on a hotel. ‘I got the Netherlands soccer scarf—everything,’ Sarah said. ‘We dressed up.’ The morning of the game, Jeremy received an email from StubHub saying their tickets were no longer available.
Jeremy later learned how StubHub works. Tickets are not guaranteed. He took issue with the ‘FanProtect 100% Guarantee.’ The guarantee promises valid tickets on time or replacement tickets or a refund if there’s a problem. With urgent notice and expenses, the Wrights wanted replacement tickets. However, the app showed none available. ‘We refreshed the app several times, and it said no alternative tickets,’ Jeremy said. ‘Online, groups of tickets were available, but priced between $2,200 and $3,500.’
With no alternative, Jeremy requested a refund. Though they considered buying new tickets, the cost was too high for the couple. ‘We thought about watching the game at a bar,’ he said. ‘But it was too depressing, so we got in the car and left. We didn’t even watch the game.’
The sudden ticket cancellation was frustrating. ‘If we’d had more than a few hours, I could have picked a different game; I could have driven to Houston,’ Sarah said. Jeremy added: ‘If they had a rule where, once someone buys your tickets, you must transfer them to a third party, it could have solved the situation.’
Upset, Jeremy shared their experience on social media. Responses from others with similar issues came quickly. Mark Cooley bought tickets for the USA vs. Turkey game on StubHub. He booked flights and hotels. After the USA beat Paraguay, he got an email saying the seller couldn’t deliver his tickets. The link for replacements only allowed a refund.
Majid Lagzian purchased four tickets for Germany vs. Ivory Coast. In June, he was told the seller couldn’t deliver the tickets. Despite the FanProtect Guarantee, a link for new tickets showed none available, only offering a refund. Six months ago, Glen Albuja bought two tickets for Ecuador vs. Germany. A couple of weeks before the match, StubHub emailed that one ticket had issues. The link for options showed no available tickets and offered only a refund.
StubHub Responds
A StubHub spokesperson told Newsweek, ‘We know attending the World Cup takes time and money. We take our responsibility seriously. Many issues are due to the event organizer’s technology, new restrictions, and a new app launched before the event.’
StubHub advocates for fans to have choice and access when buying tickets. Some organizers act anti-competitive, limiting where tickets can be bought or sold. StubHub serves fans whether they buy last-minute tickets or need to sell. Buyers are protected by the FanProtect Guarantee.
StubHub apologized to Jeremy and Sarah Wright for their experience. They will send the couple to the World Cup semifinal in Dallas on July 14, with an upgraded experience, including food and drinks. Cooley, Lagzian, and Albuja also received replacement tickets.
The company urges anyone with problems to contact them for World Cup specialist support. StubHub pointed to the event organizer’s app issues as the cause of many problems. The new app caused performance troubles affecting all resale platforms, not just StubHub. In most cancellations, the issue was ticket transfer failures in the organizer’s system, not sellers lacking tickets.
Leave a Reply