New York and New Jersey announced Wednesday they have subpoenaed FIFA as part of an investigation into its ticketing practices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing soaring prices and reports that fans were misled about seat locations.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a news release that their offices are seeking internal information about how FIFA sold tickets to eight World Cup matches scheduled to take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, including the final on July 19.
“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 statement. “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.”
FIFA declined ESPN’s request for comment.
FIFA’s ticket prices have “far exceeded the prices for any previous World Cup tournament,” according to the joint announcement by the attorneys general.
This is the first World Cup in which FIFA has used dynamic pricing, adjusting ticket prices based on demand, and fan complaints about high ticket prices have dominated the headlines. One fan organization accused FIFA of “a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup” in December.
The attorneys general cited news reports that found FIFA raised the price of tickets for most of the 104 World Cup matches between October and April, with prices for the three main ticket categories rising on average by 34%.
The investigation promises to “examine whether and how FIFA’s ticket release schedule, public statements, and other conduct may have impacted these prices.”
“Being honest about ticket sales is not complicated,” Davenport said in a statement. “But FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity and impossibly high prices.
“It is an honor to host the World Cup, but the event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors,” Davenport added.
FIFA has repeatedly defended the high ticket prices for this summer’s tournament, citing the market demand. “We have to look at the market,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said earlier this month. “We are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world, so we have to apply market rates.”
When asked recently about tickets going for $1,000 and higher, President Donald Trump told The New York Post, “I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”
The investigation will also seek answers to whether fans were misled about the locations of seats they purchased. In its initial ticket sale, FIFA seat maps divided MetLife Stadium into four zones, with “Category 1” seats located in the most desirable location. After many fans had already bought tickets, FIFA created new “Front Category” zones that contained the most desirable seats in each category, which the attorneys general said cost significantly more.
“Reports indicate that fans who bought tickets before these new zones were introduced were excluded from those seats and instead assigned less desirable seats, including seats far from the field or behind the goals,” the news release read.
The attorneys general also said that some fans have reported that they did not receive tickets in the category they selected and paid for. These fans who selected Category 1 seats were ultimately assigned seats further back in the Category 2 areas, according to the release.
Earlier this month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a letter to FIFA requesting information about ticket sales for World Cup games in California, including how seating categories were marketed and how seats were assigned. Matches will be played at both SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
