​Fans across the country say they spent thousands of dollars on World Cup tickets through StubHub, only to discover they would not receive the tickets they believed they purchased, leaving some unable to attend matches after making travel plans and booking accommodations. Among them was Bucktown resident Alex Williams, who had waited all year to attend his first World Cup match. Last fall, he and a friend spent more than $3,000 to attend the U.S. versus Australia World Cup match in Seattle on June 19. Williams says they bought tickets through StubHub and were told the tickets would be transferred on the day of the match, but the tickets never arrived. “As I grew older, I’ve come to appreciate the beautiful game, especially with the U.S. being dominant right now and playing well. We’ve become superfans,” Williams said. After traveling to Seattle, Williams said he and his friend were unable to enter the stadium. “We were stuck outside, hearing the fans, hearing the roars but couldn’t get to experience it, and that part was devastating after so long… flying all the way out there, spending all the money on flights and hotels and planning this weekend for nine months, and being on the outside not even looking in but just hearing what’s going on,” Williams recalled.
Lincoln Park resident Ryan Gianni said he paid $3,000 about a year ago through StubHub for tickets to a Colombia versus Portugal World Cup match in Miami with his son at the end of June. However, weeks before the match, he learned StubHub could not fulfill the ticket order. “Getting to go to the World Cup, you know, a once-in-a-lifetime experience sometimes. And then getting excited coming up to it—thinking about the travel and trip and experiences—and then getting hit with a brick wall, saying that now we probably can’t go,” Gianni said. Gianni accepted a refund from StubHub but had already purchased replacement tickets at a higher price because he could not recover non-refundable flights and vacation housing. “You may or may not get the tickets, which is very stressful, especially when there’s travel involved and planning involved,” Gianni said.
The complaints extend beyond the Chicago area. Fans from around the world have shared similar experiences on social media. One video shows a fan lamenting, “Stubhub just told us our seller is unable to provide the tickets. We are so devastated and hurt, and we’ve been planning this for months.” Another post reads, “We’re asking for the tickets we purchased that we planned and relied upon for the better part of the year.” All of the consumers interviewed for this report received refunds, but StubHub’s support page states that in the rare event a seller fails to deliver tickets, customers may receive comparable replacement tickets or a refund. Still, fans interviewed noted that refunds did not fully compensate for travel expenses or the disappointment of missing the event, prompting calls for better protections and clearer communication from the marketplace.