Signage is seen at the New York New Jersey Stadium (temporarily renamed from MetLife Stadium) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 29, 2026. AFP via Getty Images

Throughout my 50 years covering sports for The Post, written about a recurring phenomenon: Tickets to the biggest events always end up in the wrong hands — no explanations given, no paid receipts provided. 

And with the World Cup soon to begin on this continent, FIFA again seems to be imitating the International Olympic Committee, by doing big business in the shade — the kind that tables provide when dealing under them. 

Not that we, here in the land of the free, don’t have our own suspect ticket issues to explain. 

The 1997 Packers-Patriots Super Bowl in New Orleans was supposed to sell Green Bay’s allotment of tickets to Packers season-ticket holders — as paid reward for their devotion.