FC Porto has successfully dismantled one of the largest ticket reselling networks ever discovered in football, recovering dozens of premium stadium seats and exposing a sophisticated scheme that generated thousands of dollars per game.
The Portuguese club’s action, initially reported by The Guardian, uncovered a systematic operation involving deceptive practices to acquire and distribute tickets. An individual reportedly convinced dozens of people to provide personal data, enabling them to register as club members.
This allowed the operator to purchase numerous season tickets for the Estádio do Dragão. These tickets were then resold online at significantly inflated prices, primarily targeting tourists.
Some individual tickets were reportedly sold for as much as $860. The club’s investigation revealed the impressive scale of the scheme.
FC Porto stated that “these schemes reached an impressive scale, with dozens of seats being controlled by a single individual.” The club also identified “companies processing hundreds of transactions, serving as a front for this illegal activity.”
A Danish couple told The Guardian they paid $215 each for two tickets to a league match earlier this season. These were purchased through the unofficial network.
The club also detected instances of fake tickets being sold at inflated prices. FC Porto advises fans against purchasing tickets from unofficial channels due to the risk of counterfeit passes.
The case has been reported to the police for further investigation. FC Porto anticipates recovering additional season tickets as the inquiry continues.