‘Ghost tickets’ have plagued games, locking fans out of matches they paid to attend. Congress is cracking down, but some say loopholes are locked in.Fans outside San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. before a World Cup match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier this month. Stephen Lam / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty ImagesJuly 19, 2026, 9:37 AM EDTImagine scoring tickets to the biggest sporting event in the world, only to learn just before a game that you bought tickets from a seller who didn’t actually have them.Just a moment.We are getting your experience ready.