FIFA has been ordered to answer questions about its 2026 World Cup ticketing practices after New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport subpoenaed the organization as part of a formal investigation.
The inquiry centers on how tickets have been sold for matches at MetLife Stadium, which will host eight World Cup matches, including the final on July 19, 2026.
The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection also joined the investigation, with commissioner Samuel AA Levine saying the body would take allegations of blatantly deceptive conduct very seriously.
In particular, FIFA has been asked to explain why tickets have exceeded the prices for any previous World Cup tournament.
Fans have reported being misled about the location of seats, including through the creation of more expensive “front” category tickets that were released after the initial sales.
It is also alleged that variable pricing across various sales phases allowed FIFA to raise prices for around 90 of the 104 fixtures by an average of 34%. In some instances, ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup are five times more expensive than at the previous tournament in Qatar in 2022.
The original target from U.S. soccer officials when bidding for the tournament was to offer hundreds of thousands of $21 seats across the opening phase of games.
However, FIFA implemented dynamic pricing at a World Cup for the first time, with prices fluctuating based on demand. Fan organization Football Supporters Europe described current prices as extortionate and called on FIFA to immediately halt ticket sales until a solution that respects the tradition, universality, and cultural significance of the World Cup is found.