Qatar warns against illegally selling or exchanging World Cup tickets

Fines can reach $69,000 and anyone who wants to dispose of a ticket should do so on the official Fifa platform

The Khalifa Stadium stadium in Doha, Qatar, one of the venues where Fifa World Cup matches will be played in November. Getty Images

Qatar on Wednesday gave a warning that anyone who sells or exchanges tickets for the football World Cup 2022 without permission from Fifa will face a fine of up to 250,000 riyals ($69,000).

The Justice Ministry said on Twitter that the penalty falls under Law No. 10 of 2021, which outlines Qatar's measures for hosting the World Cup in November.

The world football governing body, Fifa, has said if someone cannot attend a match, they are allowed to put their tickets up for sale on its official resale platform.

Fifa confirmed the ban on unauthorised ticket transfers on its website.

“Tickets that have been impermissibly transferred are not valid and may be cancelled at any time without notice,” the governing body said.

The reasons for the restrictions include match security, consumer protection, avoidance of counterfeit tickets, and protection of a fair pricing scheme.

The regulations are a part of Fifa's exclusive rights on intellectual and commercial property that controls the issuance, distribution and sale of tickets for World Cup matches, officials said.

A ticket applicant is only permitted to assign tickets to guests either free of charge or for an amount no greater than the face value of the ticket, Fifa said on its website.

The ticket terms of use do not allow guests to transfer tickets under any circumstances.

If a guest can no longer use a ticket, then it must be returned to the ticket applicant.

Tickets are being sold in phases on a first-come, first-served basis with an online queuing system in place for those hoping to buy.

Fans are limited to buying a maximum of six tickets per match ― and a maximum of 60 for the tournament ― to deter bulk-buying by touts looking to resell admissions on the parallel market at inflated fees.

People have been warned that buying outside official channels could invalidate their purchase, leading to their match tickets being cancelled.