ZURICH (Reuters) - Soccer's ruling body Fifa has filed a criminal complaint against online ticket reseller Viagogo, saying it wanted to protect fans and prevent unauthorised ticket resales at the World Cup in Russia starting next week.

Zurich-based Fifa said on Tuesday it had filed a complaint with the public prosecutor's office in Geneva after receiving complaints about the Swiss company's practices.

"Fifa's ultimate objective in the fight against the secondary ticket market is to prioritise the safety and security of fans and enforce a fair 2018 Fifa World Cup ticketing pricing scheme," it said in a statement.