April 28 (Reuters) - FIFA has removed World Cup tickets for matches at Toronto's BMO Field stadium from their official resale marketplace after the Canadian province of Ontario passed legislation last week banning the reselling of event tickets above face value.
The bill, called the 'Putting Fans First Act', says no person shall make a ticket available for sale on the secondary market or facilitate the sale of a ticket on the secondary market for an amount that exceeds the ticket's face value.
FIFA
operates the official resale and exchange marketplace for eligible ticket holders, which it says aims to protect fans and is subject to federal and local regulations, and has now acted after Ontario's 2026 budget bill passed on Thursday.
Tickets are currently available on FIFA's marketplace for all 15 other venues and for every match at the World Cup apart from the six games in Toronto, which includes Canada's opening fixture against Bosnia on June 12.
Face-value tickets are currently on sale as part of FIFA's last-minute sales phase, and additional tickets will continue to be released to the public on an ongoing basis until the World Cup final on July 19 subject to availability.
FIFA's latest figures show more than five million tickets have already been sold, out of an expected total of just over six million for the tournament, but soccer's world governing body has faced criticism over pricing, not helped by its use of the variable pricing method and the resale market.
Ticket holders can resell on FIFA's marketplace at any price, with one seller asking for almost $11.5 million for a Category 3 ticket for the final.
FIFA has defended its secondary market model saying it is a not-for-profit organisation and revenue generated is reinvested into the global development of football.
Tickets for the games in Toronto are expected to be relisted on FIFA's marketplace in line with Ontario's new legislation.
The World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, starts on June 11.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Ken Ferris)
