Reddit soccer fans use AI tools to track and buy cheaper World Cup tickets

In short: Soccer fans on Reddit are building AI-assisted tools to track FIFA World Cup ticket prices in real time and coordinate when to buy.

What's going on

A large Reddit group, r/WorldCup2026Tickets, has turned into a do-it-yourself hub for finding better World Cup 2026 ticket deals. Members share alerts when FIFA releases new tickets and when resale prices drop. Some posts even tell others “do not buy” yet, encouraging fans to wait in hopes prices fall further.

One member, Luke, built a site called SeatSidekick in five days using Claude, a chatbot that can help write computer code (like a writing assistant for software). The site looks at what tickets are available on FIFA’s site and sorts seats by price. Luke says it also shows price trends and can send alerts, which helps fans spot bargains and challenge overpriced resale listings.

Fans are also using private “back channel” groups, including WhatsApp chats, to buy and sell tickets directly. This can avoid FIFA’s resale fees. FIFA reportedly takes a 30% commission on resold tickets, split between buyer and seller. A subreddit moderator said buying directly saved him $1,680 compared with an official resale listing.

What to watch

This could turn into a cat-and-mouse situation. Luke said FIFA shut down one way his site collected data, and he later found a workaround. FIFA is also facing scrutiny, including subpoenas from the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey related to its ticketing practices. For fans, the big tradeoff is clear: buying off-platform can save money, but it can also add risk if a seller is not legitimate.

Source: Wired