JAKARTA – New York and New Jersey announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, local time, that they had called FIFA as part of an investigation into ticket sales practices for the 2026 World Cup, citing high prices and reports that fans were misled about seating locations.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a press release that their offices were seeking internal information on how FIFA sold tickets for eight 2026 World Cup matches scheduled to take place at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, including the final on July 19, 2026.
“New Yorkers have waited years for the World Cup to come to their backyard. They deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets.”
“No one should be manipulated into paying exorbitant prices for seats. Fans should be able to trust that the tickets they buy will be the tickets they receive,” James said in a statement.
According to a joint announcement from the attorneys general, FIFA ticket prices far exceeded the ticket prices for previous World Cup tournaments.
This is the first World Cup where FIFA has used dynamic pricing, adjusting ticket prices based on demand, and fan complaints about high ticket prices have dominated headlines.
A fan organization accused FIFA of a major betrayal of the World Cup tradition in December 2025.
The attorney general cited news reports that found FIFA had raised ticket prices for most of the 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup between October and April 2025, with prices for the three main ticket categories rising by an average of 34 percent.
The investigation promises to examine whether and how the FIFA ticket release schedule, public statements, and other behavior may have influenced these prices.
“Being honest about ticket sales is not a complicated thing. However, FIFA has turned the 2026 World Cup ticket purchase into a series of confusion, false scarcity, and very high prices.”
“It is an honor to host the 2026 World Cup, but this event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors,” Davenport said in a statement.
FIFA has repeatedly defended high ticket prices for this summer’s tournament, citing market demand.
“We have to look at the market. We are in a market where entertainment is the fastest growing in the world, so we have to apply market prices,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said earlier this month, as reported by ESPN.
When asked recently about tickets selling for $1,000 or more, President Donald Trump told The New York Post he wouldn’t buy one.
The investigation will also seek answers to whether fans were misled about the location of the seats they bought. In the original ticket sale, FIFA’s seating map divided MetLife Stadium into four zones, with Category 1 seats located in the most desirable locations.
After many fans had bought tickets, FIFA made a new map. The Front Category Zone contains the most desirable seats in each category, which according to the attorney general are much more expensive.
“Reports indicate that fans who bought tickets before this new zone was introduced were excluded from those seats, instead given less desirable seats, including seats far from the pitch or behind the goal,” the press release read.
The attorney general also said that some fans reported that they did not receive tickets in the category they chose and paid for.
Fans who chose Category 1 seats were eventually given seats further back in Category 2 areas.
Earlier this month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a letter to FIFA asking for information about ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup matches in California, including how seating categories were marketed and how the seats were allocated.
There are two stadiums in California that will be used for the 2026 World Cup, namely SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, and Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara.
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