Champions league final tickets resold at exorbitant prices, new scams emerge
From €2,000 minimum to €115,000 per ticket: the black market for Champions League final tickets in Budapest is booming. Scammers are getting creative, selling tickets tied to smartphones.
- Published on May 26, 2026 at 10:06 AM
- Updated on May 26, 2026 at 12:05 PM
High-profile events like Champions League finals no longer spare fans from astronomical ticket prices on the resale market. The upcoming Budapest showdown between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain is no exception, with resellers pushing prices to unprecedented levels.
Officially, only 18,000 tickets are allocated to each club, leaving around 31,000 spots for neutral fans, partners, and distribution channels. This severe supply-demand imbalance has created ideal conditions for scalpers and fraudsters alike.
The resale market is thriving, with prices starting at €2,000 on WhatsApp groups and skyrocketing to €115,000 on platforms like Fan Pass or SeatPick. These figures starkly contrast with UEFA’s official pricing, which ranges from €70 to €950.
Fraudsters are everywhere on X, but WhatsApp groups are surprisingly organized. Some resellers operate like a full-fledged ticketing company.
“WhatsApp groups won’t even show tickets below €2,000. That’s the bare minimum,” explains a Parisian fan desperate to attend the Budapest final. Scalpers are taking full advantage of the hype surrounding this high-stakes match between two top European clubs.
While reputable resale platforms enforce stricter controls, social media remains a hotbed for scams. Martin, another Parisian supporter who failed to secure a ticket through official channels, fell victim to a fraudster on X.
“We contacted the seller, exchanged a few messages, and then they asked for my IBAN and name. We sent the transfer, but the seller vanished immediately after,” he recounts. The supporter only realized the scam later when examining the ticket screenshot, which contained the Google Gemini logo—a clear red flag.
UEFA tightens security but new loopholes emerge
To combat fraud, UEFA has locked down ticket distribution this year. Paper tickets and PDFs are useless at the stadium entrance—only the official UEFA Mobile Tickets app grants access. The organization explicitly warns that “mobile ticket screenshots are invalid.” Supporters attempting to enter with such documents will be denied admission.
The system goes further by tethering tickets to the specific smartphone used to download them. Sharing accounts or transferring tickets digitally is strictly prohibited. “Only the phone used to download the mobile ticket will allow entry to the stadium,” UEFA states.
While this measure prevents duplicate ticket circulation and abrupt seller disappearances, it has spawned a new scam: selling tickets bundled with smartphones. Some resellers now offer tickets plus a phone (included or at an extra cost) to bypass the app’s restrictions.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s unprecedented,” Martin admits. Buyers face a dilemma: meet the seller in person to hand over the phone or trust the reseller and receive it by mail—a risky proposition that has already lured many.
Behind this lucrative black market lies a troubling question: who are these resellers? “It’s hard to tell if it’s individuals or organized crime. The lack of transparency is unsettling. You start wondering what happens to the money,” Martin reflects. In the end, he secured a ticket for the Parc des Princes match via WhatsApp—though not for the Budapest final.