New York and New Jersey’s attorneys general jointly subpoenaed FIFA on May 27, 2026, to investigate allegations that the soccer federation artificially inflated ticket prices and misled fans about seat locations for the 2026 World Cup [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9].
The probe focuses on ticketing practices for the eight World Cup games set to be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, including the final scheduled for July 19, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Some fans reported purchasing Category 1 seats but receiving lower-category seats farther from the field, raising concerns over deceptive seat allocation [1, 3, 4, 6, 8].
Officials accuse FIFA of creating "fake scarcity" by withholding ticket batches to drive up prices artificially [2, 10, 7, 8, 9]. FIFA deployed dynamic pricing for the first time at the tournament, causing ticket costs to fluctuate and generally rise with demand [2, 10, 4, 6, 7, 9]. Between October 2025 and April 2026, ticket prices rose by an average of 34% for 90 of 104 matches globally, including many US-hosted games [11, 8].
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the high prices, saying they reflected the public's "absolutely crazy" appetite for the event and US market realities such as ticket resale laws [12, 10, 7, 9]. Nevertheless, face-value tickets remained available for 86 matches as of late May 2026, mostly group-stage games [11].
New York Attorney General Letitia James said, "New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets. No one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats, and fans should be able to trust that the tickets they purchase will be the ones they receive" [1]. New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport added, "Being honest about ticket sales is not complicated. But FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity and impossibly high prices—all at the expense of consumers and hardworking New Jerseyans" [11].
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill praised the investigation, stating, "New Jersey is excited to host the World Cup and welcome fans from across the globe. But no one should be allowed to exploit New Jersey fans or those coming to our state" [4, 6].
The investigation is a joint effort between New York and New Jersey’s attorneys general and the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection [11, 2, 5, 8]. They will scrutinize ticket release schedules, pricing structures, and public statements to determine if FIFA engaged in deceptive conduct [11, 2, 7, 9].
The 2026 World Cup will begin on June 11 across the US, Canada, and Mexico, with the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 [1, 3, 4, 6, 9]. FIFA declined to comment on the investigation or related complaints [12, 1, 3, 4, 6].
