The build-up to Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain has triggered an unusual secondary ticket market, with some supporters reportedly handing over their smartphones to buyers in exchange for thousands of dollars in profit, Bloomberg reported.
Under anti-scalping measures introduced by UEFA, fans can only access Champions League final tickets through the official mobile app on the device used to download them. The system was designed to keep tickets in the hands of genuine supporters and reduce unauthorised resales.
Ticket holders find a workaround
However, some ticket holders have found a workaround by temporarily transferring possession of the phones containing the tickets.
Among them is 24-year-old Hungarian Arsenal supporter Botond Lajtai, who won the right to purchase two final tickets through UEFA’s lottery system for about $420. Although unable to attend the match himself, he reportedly agreed to hand over his Android phone to a buyer in a deal worth roughly $7,600, according to Bloomberg.
The pair connected online and conducted a video call before completing the arrangement, with the buyer showing travel bookings and Arsenal merchandise to establish credibility. Despite concerns about sharing a device containing personal photos, social media accounts and other private information, Lajtai said the financial return was too significant to ignore.
The transaction would generate a profit of about 1,700% on the original ticket cost.
UEFA’s anti-scalping rules create a new resale market
UEFA said earlier this year that the stricter ticketing measures were intended to ensure tickets remained with genuine supporters. While the governing body operates an official resale platform, tickets cannot be sold above face value.
That restriction has encouraged some resellers to use informal channels such as Reddit and Facebook, where sellers have advertised not only tickets but also temporary access to the phones carrying them.
Posts offering “tickets with phone included” have appeared online as supporters seek to bypass official resale restrictions while capitalising on strong demand for the final.
Arsenal’s historic opportunity fuels demand
Demand has been particularly intense as Arsenal pursue their first UEFA Champions League title. The North London club is appearing in its first Champions League final in 20 years.
The final will be played at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, with thousands of travelling supporters expected to arrive in the Hungarian capital.
For Lajtai, the decision ultimately came down to economics. Rather than attending the match, he plans to watch the game with family members and use the proceeds to help launch a chimney-cake baking business.
“I will do better things than 90 minutes of football,” he told Bloomberg.