FIFA is facing a subpoena from New York and New Jersey after state investigators moved to scrutinize how tickets for the 2026 World Cup have been priced — and whether fans are being accurately told where they will sit.
In a joint release, New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said prices for the 2026 World Cup matches “far exceeded the prices for any previous World Cup tournament.”
FIFA has pointed to its first-time use of “dynamic pricing,” a model that changes ticket costs in response to demand, as part of its approach to sales.
But a wave of fan complaints — including allegations that purchasers paid for seats in one part of a stadium only to be issued less desirable locations — has drawn the attention of state officials.
Asked to account for why prices rose after the initial on-sale date in October, FIFA president Gianni Infantino (above) defended the organisation on several fronts, stressing the reality of limited inventory for a tournament that attracts global demand.
The attorneys general said they are seeking details on the overall event pricing structure, location-based pricing, seat placement and related information tied to the eight World Cup matches scheduled for MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
MetLife Stadium is also set to stage some of the tournament’s biggest dates, including the quarter-finals, semi-final and the 19 July final.
“New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets,” James said in a release.
FULL LIST OF WORLD CUP FIXTURES
“No one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats, and fans should be able to trust that the tickets they purchased will be the ones they receive.”
Officials said the investigation is aimed at easing anxieties among supporters who have already bought tickets — or who still hope to — but believe they may have been misled about what they would ultimately receive.
“FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity and impossibly high prices — all at the expense of consumers and hard-working New Jerseyans,” Davenport said in the statement.
James said watchdogs have urged government leaders to help navigate disputes from fans who say they selected seats in one “category” — one of four available at MetLife Stadium — only to find themselves assigned seating further from the pitch.
FIFA also contributed to confusion over seat location, James said, by introducing a premium ticket option, described as a “Front Category,” only after initial tickets had already been sold.
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