FIFA lawyers force B.C. spinal injury charity to scrap World Cup ticket raffle

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“We trust that we can rely on your support in respecting FIFA’s ticketing rights,” the letter says.

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“We are writing to ensure that you are fully aware of the legal implications of conducting marketing, advertising and/or other activities facilitating the unauthorized promotion of tickets without the required authorization of FIFA.”

McBride said his organization cancelled the raffle and refunded money to anyone who had bought tickets.

“We were a little surprised, but you know, we understood that we were in violation of policies. I mean, there’s no real complaint there from us. We’re just disappointed that this small little enterprise … the opportunity was being denied to us,” he said.

A spokesperson for FIFA said in a statement that tickets are issued as “personal, revocable licences and may not be used for any advertising, promotional or competition purposes, including raffles, sweepstakes or similar activities, without FIFA’s prior written consent.”

“These provisions are intended to protect the integrity and fair allocation of tickets, ensure that access is provided through controlled and secure channels, and safeguard the commercial rights that underpin the organization and delivery of the FIFA World Cup,” the statement said.

McBride said that as news spread of the raffle’s cancellation — first reported by the Breaker news site — they received a lot of support from the community, as well as some donations.

He said people are feeling “very outraged with FIFA” and supportive of his organization.

“It’s hitting a nerve, and I think it highlights … that FIFA is really good at extracting resources from host communities, but not so good at finding ways to help give back to them,” he said.

FIFA said in its statement that it recognizes the important work carried out by charities around the world and is “significantly engaged in charitable and socially impactful initiatives surrounding the tournament.”

McBride said the two tickets have been put up for sale on an official resale marketplace. He doesn’t expect the organization to make back all the money it spent on the raffle but said it is “not going to be out a huge amount.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2026.

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press