Mobile app issues are being blamed for spectators being locked out at some FIFA World Cup matches, with tournament officials “working on solving the issue” according to a tweet posted to the official FIFA Media account on Monday. Fans for at least two contests – England vs. Iran and USA vs. Wales, both of which took place Monday at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.

According to reports, fans said tickets that were in the mobile-only system disappeared from their apps, causing a huge backup at entry gates. Some fans indicated that their entire alotment of tickets for the tournament had disappeared, not just Monday’s games.

TFL and ATBS for ticketing professionals

“All the tickets I have have disappeared,” Avinash Fernando of Sri Lanka told The Associated Press. He and a friend, Chathura Perera, each had seven tickets for the tournament vanish. Another fan, who gave only his first name Farhood, said his tickets had gone. “I don’t have them anymore on the app. It might have been a hacker, I’m not sure,” he said.

Fans were stuck outside until after the games began, and it is unclear if FIFA officials were able to resolve the issue, or if the fans were simply let in without tickets to keep things moving.

Many took to social media to vent their frustration about the ticketing snafu at what is typically billed as the largest sporting event in the world, and one where the ticketing is tightly controlled, with resale so restricted that multiple arrests have reportedly been made against individuals who have allegedly attempted to resell passes to events in Qatar.

Many also vented their anger in the thread below the FIFA Media tweet above announcing the issues:

Mobile-only ticketing systems have become the norm for many events, as operators can harvest massive consumer data from their usage, generating additional revenue from marketing opportunities for partners or outright sale of that data to partners. But issues such as those experienced this week have also been regular, snarling lines at major events, even including this year’s Super Bowl in California, and the UEFA Champions League Final in France. At that tournament, major lines were caused by ticketing issues, with police then tear gassing some fans waiting outside the venue, while officials attempted to blame fans who showed up without tickets – though the real number who showed up ticketless was actually a fraction of what was initially alleged, prompting backlash from Liverpool fans.

The World Cup continues in Qatar throughout this month and into December, with its final scheduled for December 18.

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Ticket Links

Tickets at MEGASeats | No Service Charge/Free Shipping – 10% Off Using Code TICKETNEWS
Tickets at Event Tickets Center
Tickets at ScoreBig
Tickets at StubHub
Tickets at Ticket Club | Free Membership Offer
Tickets at TickPick
Tickets at TicketNetwork
Tickets at TicketSmarter

vegas.com advertisement