FIFA Demands Charity Cancel 2026 World Cup Ticket Raffle

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) issued a legal warning to the Canadian charity Spinal Cord Injury BC, demanding it halt a charitable draw organized to win two tickets to a 2026 World Cup match. FIFA deemed the draw a violation of its trademark and ticketing policies, which prohibit the use of tickets for promotional activities or raffles without prior approval.

The initiative involved a draw for two Category 2 tickets to a match between New Zealand and Egypt, scheduled for June 21, 2026, at BC Place stadium in Vancouver, Canada. A member of the charity had purchased the two tickets for 326 Euros each, intending to support the organization through fundraising.

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed that this action aims to protect the World Cup's regulatory framework, stating: "While FIFA fully recognizes and supports the important work carried out by charities around the world, this use of tickets is not permitted under FIFA's regulatory framework." The charity's General Manager further clarified that the move was made to avoid infringing upon FIFA's registered trademark and its ticketing policy.

The Canadian charity responded to FIFA's request by canceling the draw and offering refunds to participants. In a clarifying statement regarding the reversal, the organization said: "We concluded that the risks we might face in order to conduct the draw were not worth it." This brought an end to the efforts that aimed to leverage the global sporting event for charitable work.