Powered By

Many people who resold men’s World Cup tickets through FIFA’s online exchange are still waiting for refunds more than two months after the tournament ended. “To me, it doesn’t even feel like it’s my money anymore,” one told Front Office Sports.

—Margaret Fleming

First Up

World Cup Ticket Sellers Still Waiting for FIFA Refunds

Arik Shalmiyev was ecstatic when a pair of tickets he listed on FIFA’s World Cup ticket marketplace to the quarterfinal match in Kansas City sold, netting him more than $10,000 after FIFA fees.

Two months after that match, the 25-year-old Brooklynite is still waiting for his money, plus proceeds from two other sales he made on the platform. In total, Shalmiyev says FIFA owes him more than $15,000.

“To me, it doesn’t even feel like it’s my money anymore,” Shalmiyev tells Front Office Sports. “I’ll believe it when I see it at this point.”

Shalmiyev is part of a large community of soccer fans who have struggled to recoup money from selling tickets on FIFA’s official marketplace. Three other soccer fans tell FOS they’re in a similar boat, waiting on payments while receiving conflicting messages from FIFA. Many have shared their experiences on Reddit threads, and some posted they received their money after spamming multiple FIFA departments or sending email templates laced with legal threats.

FIFA’s policy for its 2026 exchange marketplace was to take a 15% cut from both the buyer and the seller, then pay back the person who listed the tickets within 60 days of the sale. It’s been more than 60 days since the World Cup ended July 19.

FIFA has told fans in emails that refunds may take longer than 60 days “due to high volume.”

In a statement to FOS, a FIFA spokesperson said the governing body “is continuing to issue eligible resale payments and refunds and is actively working to complete the remaining outstanding cases.” The FIFA spokesperson said a “limited number” of sales have needed “manual review or additional customer information,” particularly because FIFA ran into issues in which money “could not be returned to the original payment method.”

“Dedicated teams are reviewing and resolving pending transactions, including those that require alternative banking arrangements or additional verification,” the spokesperson said. “Consumers with unresolved cases are encouraged to continue working through FIFA Ticketing’s customer support channels so that any outstanding information can be confirmed and payments finalized as quickly as possible.”

Ticket sellers describe a frustrating experience with FIFA’s customer service.

Bart McKay, a 57-year-old from Waco, Texas, tells FOS he’s been told on four different phone calls since late August that FIFA has his bank account information and would pay him within the next week. McKay, who also volunteered for FIFA during the World Cup, is still waiting to be paid close to $1,900.

Shalmiyev said he’s been told there’s an issue with his bank account—even though FIFA already refunded him twice to his credit card and once to his bank account.

“What do you mean this doesn’t work?” Shalmiyev says. “This is literally how you paid me.”

Read the rest here.

SPONSORED BY E*TRADE FROM MORGAN STANLEY

Ryan Smith on the Future of Sports in Utah

Utah Jazz and Mammoth owner Ryan Smith is building a sports portfolio that extends well beyond the teams themselves.

On Portfolio Players, presented by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, Smith discusses why he entered sports after selling Qualtrics, his long-term vision for Utah, and how sports can serve as an anchor for real estate and downtown development.

He also shares his outlook on NBA expansion, the growth of the NHL’s Utah Mammoth, NIL at BYU, sports betting, and Halo Fund’s strategy at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology.

Watch now.

ONE BIG FIG

Winston Back Under Center

$1 million

That’s the amount in contract incentives Giants backup quarterback Jameis Winston stands to earn this season if he takes 70% or more of the team’s snaps. Winston was called into service during Monday night’s game against the Rams after starting quarterback Jaxson Dart exited with a knee injury. Sources tell FOS Dart could remain sidelined for the season.

Winston, drafted first overall by the Buccaneers in the 2015 NFL Draft, earned Pro Bowl honors in his first season but has not reached those heights again. Before this season, the journeyman quarterback seemed to be preparing for life after the NFL, signing on with Fox as a Super Bowl correspondent in 2025 and a studio analyst last season, and serving as a World Cup contributor over the summer.

For now, Winston will need to study up on the playbook. He’s in the second year of a two-year contract worth a guaranteed $12.24 million, but he can earn up to $1 million in playing time bonuses, plus another $1 million if the Giants make the playoffs with him taking 70% of the snaps. He can also earn up to $1 million for hitting specific passer rating, completion, passing yard, and touchdown metrics.

DAILY SPORTS TRIVIA

Can you rank the top five NBA teams by all-time highest win percentage?

LOUD AND CLEAR

Things Get Real in LaLiga

“The usual mouthpieces and the regime-aligned media are already spinning the same old narrative: the permanent conspiracy.”

—LaLiga president Javier Tebas on X/Twitter on Tuesday responding to claims by Real Madrid manager José Mourinho and others that referees are conspiring against the team. The club, which finished second last year behind Barcelona, trails the Catalan side by six points early in the season after losing 2–1 at crosstown rival Atlético de Madrid on Sunday. In that match, Dean Huijsen was sent off after a penalty in the box. Mourinho insisted his team was denied two clear red cards of their own—and Spain’s referee committee agreed with half of that assessment. 

Tebas thinks the conspiracy conversation is a way for Spain’s winningest club to divert attention from its product on the field, saying, “That narrative serves as a smokescreen to hide other shortcomings that are plain to see in these opening matches of the season.” Madrid then fired back with a statement of its own, claiming Tebas is “obsessed with targeting Real Madrid, turning our club into a constant subject of his public attacks.” The team statement called for a leadership change at LaLiga.

SPONSORED BY APOLLO

Success Begins Before the Swing

When change is constant, perspective is power. It’s about moving ahead of change, tailoring the approach, and taking the right shot instead of the easy one. That’s the perspective behind how we finance businesses, grow wealth and retirements, and drive economies forward.

Challenge assumptions. Ask what if. Think it through.

Then Think It New.

Visit Apollo.com/ThinkItNew to learn more.

Editors’ Picks

Question of the Day

Do you think MLB will increase the private-equity ownership limit again?