New York and New Jersey have subpoenaed FIFA as part of a probe into ticketing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, focusing on sharp price increases and complaints that some fans were pushed into seats they did not expect. The move puts FIFA’s sales practices under formal review just as demand grows for matches that will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, including the final on July 19.
The joint action comes from New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport. Their offices said they want internal information about how FIFA sold tickets to eight World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium, and they framed the inquiry as a consumer protection issue tied to fairness, transparency, and seat placement.
Ticket prices under scrutiny
The attorneys general said FIFA’s prices have “far exceeded the prices for any previous World Cup tournament.” They also pointed to reports that prices for many of the 104 matches rose between October and April, with the three main ticket categories increasing by an average of 34%.
The probe is expected to examine whether FIFA’s ticket release schedule, public statements, and other conduct affected those prices. That matters because this is the first World Cup in which FIFA has used dynamic pricing, a system that changes ticket costs based on demand.
Consumer frustration has followed that approach closely. One fan group described it in December as “a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup,” underscoring how sharply the pricing debate has grown around the tournament.
Questions over seat locations
The investigation is not limited to price. Officials also want to know whether buyers were misled about where they would sit after FIFA changed its seating setup for MetLife Stadium.
In the initial sale, FIFA divided the stadium into four zones, with Category 1 seats placed in the most desirable area. After many tickets had already been sold, FIFA introduced new “Front Category” zones that included the best seats in each category and came at significantly higher prices.
The attorneys general said reports suggest some early buyers were shut out of those better locations and instead received seats farther from the field or behind the goals. They also cited complaints from fans who paid for Category 1 seats but were later assigned to Category 2 areas further back.
State officials say fans deserve clear rules
James said New Yorkers had waited years for the World Cup to reach their region and “deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets.” She added that no one should be driven into paying inflated prices for seats, and that fans should receive the tickets they were promised.
Davenport said honesty in ticket sales should not be difficult. She said FIFA had made buying World Cup tickets “a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity and impossibly high prices,” while also stressing that hosting the event should not become “an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors.”
FIFA declined ESPN’s request for comment. The organization has repeatedly defended its pricing strategy by pointing to market demand, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino saying earlier this month, “We have to look at the market.”
The ticket fight has reached beyond state investigators. Earlier this month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta also sought information from FIFA about ticket sales for World Cup matches in California, including how seating categories were marketed and how seats were assigned.
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