Overview:
New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James and New Jersey Lawyer Normal Jennifer Davenport have subpoenaed FIFA as a part of an investigation into ticketing practices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The probe follows stories that followers have been misled about seat places and confronted quickly rising ticket costs for matches, together with the World Cup Closing at MetLife Stadium.
New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James and New Jersey Lawyer Normal Jennifer Davenport subpoenaed FIFA on Tuesday as a part of an investigation into ticketing practices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing complaints about deceptive seat assignments and quickly rising ticket costs.
The investigation, launched with help from the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCPW), seeks details about ticket gross sales for matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The venue is scheduled to host eight World Cup matches, together with the World Cup Closing on July 19, 2026.
Officers mentioned the investigation follows stories that some followers have been misled about the place their seats could be positioned and that FIFA’s ticket launch practices could have contributed to steep worth will increase.
“New Yorkers have been ready years for the World Cup to come back to their yard, they usually deserve a good shot at reasonably priced tickets,” James mentioned. “Nobody must be manipulated into paying sky-high costs for seats, and followers ought to be capable to belief that the tickets they buy would be the ones they obtain.”
Davenport accused FIFA of making confusion within the ticket-buying course of.
“Being trustworthy about ticket gross sales will not be sophisticated. However FIFA has turned shopping for a ticket to the World Cup right into a gauntlet of confusion, pretend shortage, and impossibly excessive costs – all on the expense of customers and hardworking New Jerseyans,” Davenport mentioned.
The attorneys normal mentioned the investigation will study FIFA’s ticket categorization system. In line with the discharge, FIFA initially divided stadium seating into 4 zones labeled Classes 1 by means of 4. After some followers had already bought tickets, FIFA later launched “Entrance Classes” inside these sections, which included extra fascinating seats offered at increased costs.
Officers mentioned some followers who purchased tickets earlier than the brand new classes have been launched have been later assigned seats farther from the sphere or behind the targets.
The investigation may also look into complaints from followers who mentioned they paid for Class 1 tickets however have been assigned seats in Class 2 sections as an alternative.
“As pleasure builds for the 2026 World Cup, New Yorkers and guests from all over the world deserve transparency and equity when buying tickets,” DCWP Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine mentioned. “Studies of FIFA conduct in violation of the Metropolis’s Shopper Safety Regulation, together with deceptive followers about seat places and artificially inflating costs, are deeply troubling.”
Officers additionally mentioned FIFA’s use of variable pricing might be a part of the investigation. In line with the attorneys normal, ticket costs for greater than 90 of the event’s 104 matches elevated between October 2025 and April 2026, with costs for the three important ticket classes rising a mean of 34%.
The attorneys normal mentioned they’ll study whether or not FIFA’s ticket launch schedule, public statements and different actions contributed to the will increase.
New York residents who imagine they didn’t obtain the World Cup tickets they paid for are inspired to file complaints with the New York Lawyer Normal’s Workplace on-line or by calling 1-800-771-7755.