PANews Original | FIFA’s World Cup Ticketing Bet: NFTs First, Empty Seats Later? The 2026 FIFA World Cup is about to kick off, but the largest tournament in history is already facing controversy over ticket sales. On one side, this will be a mega World Cup with 48 teams, 104 matches, and venues across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. On the other, around 180,000 group-stage tickets were still listed for resale ahead of the opener. The issue is not a lack of global interest: nearly $2 billion has already been committed to Polymarket’s World Cup winner market, showing massive demand around the event. The real frustration lies in FIFA’s ticketing model. Fans were asked to buy RTB digital collectibles — effectively NFT-based “right-to-buy” access — before purchasing actual tickets. Dynamic pricing has kept ticket costs shifting, while seat and inventory transparency remains limited. FIFA’s official resale platform also charges sizable fees to both buyers and sellers. The backlash shows that the World Cup’s global pull remains enormous, but fan passion does not mean unlimited willingness to pay. FIFA’s experiment in monetizing emotional premium may be nearing its limit. #WorldCup #FIFA #NFT #RTB #Polymarket