Texas opens StubHub World Cup probe

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into StubHub over reports that the company cancelled or failed to provide tickets for 2026 FIFA World Cup matches that consumers had purchased. The inquiry focuses on whether the ticket resale platform misled customers or engaged in what Paxton’s office has described as potential ghost ticketing, where buyers believe they have secured seats that ultimately are not delivered.

The announcement follows complaints from consumers who said they believed they had secured seats through StubHub, only to be told at short notice that their tickets were no longer available. Some fans reported that cancellations occurred just days or even hours before kickoff, disrupting plans to attend matches.

Among the complaints received by Paxton’s office are cases involving fans in Texas World Cup host cities, including Dallas and Houston. These consumers reported that StubHub cancelled their tickets for local matches on short notice, leaving them without access to games they had planned to attend.

In response, the Attorney General has encouraged Texans who bought World Cup tickets through StubHub and did not receive the tickets they paid for, or who received materially inferior tickets, to file complaints with the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. The information gathered is expected to support the ongoing investigation into StubHub’s practices.

StubHub has attributed many of the reported ticket problems to transfer issues tied to FIFA’s official ticketing platform. The company has argued that these technical or logistical transfer difficulties affected its ability to deliver some World Cup tickets purchased on its site.

The ticket marketplace has also defended its FanProtect Guarantee, which it says is designed to protect customers when problems arise. Under this program, StubHub states that affected buyers are offered replacement tickets when possible, or a full refund if suitable alternatives cannot be provided.

FIFA and other third parties have rejected or disputed the claim that FIFA’s ticketing system was the source of transfer failures impacting third‑party resale platforms such as StubHub. This disagreement has become a key point of tension in the fallout from the reported cancellations.

The Texas investigation will assess whether StubHub’s handling of World Cup ticket sales, cancellations, and customer communications complied with consumer protection laws. Its outcome may shape how ticket resale practices are monitored and regulated around major sporting events hosted in Texas.