New York and New Jersey subpoena FIFA over World Cup ticket prices
New York and New Jersey have subpoenaed FIFA as part of an investigation into whether fans were misled about seat locations and pricing for the 2026 World Cup, the states’ attorneys general announced.
The subpoenas were issued Wednesday by New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, with investigatory support from the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
The inquiry is seeking information about FIFA’s ticketing practices, including for matches at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
MetLife Stadium, located in the New York City area, is scheduled to host eight World Cup matches in 2026, including the final on July 19.
The investigation will examine reports that fans were misled about where their seats would be located after FIFA changed its seating categories during the ticket sales process, according to the attorneys general.
For its initial sales, FIFA divided stadiums into four zones, Category 1 through Category 4, with Category 1 seats listed as the most desirable. After many fans had already bought tickets, FIFA created new “Front Categories” within those zones, made up of some of the best seats and sold at significantly higher prices.
Officials said reports indicated that some fans who purchased tickets before the new zones were introduced were later excluded from those areas and assigned less desirable seats, including seats farther from the field or behind the goals.
Some fans also reported that they did not receive tickets in the category they paid for. According to the attorneys general, some buyers said they selected and paid for Category 1 tickets but were assigned seats farther back in areas listed as Category 2.
The investigation will also examine FIFA’s ticket prices, which officials said have far exceeded prices for previous tournaments. FIFA has used variable pricing, adjusting ticket costs based on demand as tickets were released in phases over several months.
Press reports cited by the attorneys general said FIFA raised prices for more than 90 of the tournament’s 104 matches between October 2025 and April 2026, with prices for the three main ticket categories rising by an average of 34%.
The attorneys general said they are looking into whether FIFA’s ticket release schedule, public statements and other conduct affected those prices.
“No one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats, and fans should be able to trust that the tickets they purchase will be the ones they receive,” James said.
Davenport said FIFA had turned buying a World Cup ticket into “a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity, and impossibly high prices.”
“It’s an honor to host the World Cup, but the event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors,” Davenport said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed pricing concerns earlier this month during an appearance at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, according to ABC News.
“We have to look at the market,” Infantino said. “We are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world, so we have to apply market rates.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
