Sources confirm that Fifa’s ticketing system has descended into farce, leaving hundreds of England supporters stranded in Qatar without valid match entry passes. The debacle stems from a row over ticketing revocations linked to Iran’s group stage match. Documents obtained by this desk reveal that Fifa, under pressure from the Iranian Football Federation, unilaterally cancelled pre-issued tickets for section 412 of the Khalifa Stadium, a section reserved for neutral fans.
The move comes after Iranian officials complained about ‘inappropriate’ English chants and banners during the Wales game. But the fallout is wider: Fifa’s own internal emails show that the cancellation was triggered by a ‘security risk assessment’ that cited ‘potential political demonstrations’. However, a leaked note from a senior security adviser warns that the revocation has actually inflamed tensions.
‘We have created a crowd of angry ticketless fans with nowhere to go,’ the adviser wrote. ‘This is a classic Fifa own goal.’ At least 200 England supporters are now scrambling for alternative tickets on the black market, with prices for the Iran game hitting £5,000.
The Football Association has demanded an emergency meeting with Fifa, but sources say the governing body is stonewalling. ‘They’re hiding behind protocol,’ a well-placed source said. ‘No one wants to admit this is a shambles.
’ For England fans, the nightmare is just beginning. If they can’t get in, they’ll be left to watch from the fan zone, where tensions are already high after a series of security alerts. Fifa’s response?
A terse statement: ‘We assure all ticket holders that their queries will be addressed.’ Queries. Not tickets.
The rot runs deeper. Last year, an internal audit revealed that Fifa’s ticketing department had lost track of 3,000 tickets for the World Cup final. The same system is now processing 1.
5 million requests. No one is surprised that it’s collapsed. The real question is: who will be held accountable?
So far, no one. As one disillusioned fan told me: ‘Fifa doesn’t care about fans. They care about money and control.
’ And that’s the story. The ticket chaos is just the latest symptom of an organisation that has learnt nothing from its scandals. Meanwhile, the fans pay the price.
