NY AG James: FIFA Subpoenaed Over World Cup Ticketing
Photos: Wikimedia Commons NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport today subpoenaed FIFA as part of an investigation into FIFA’s ticketing practices for the upcoming World Cup tournament. Recent press reports indicate that fans may have been misled about the locations of the seats they were purchasing, and FIFA’s public statements and ticket releases may have contributed to soaring prices. With investigatory support from the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), the attorneys general today sent subpoenas to FIFA seeking information about its ticketing practices. The attorneys general are specifically requesting details about ticketing practices at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will host eight World Cup matches, including the World Cup Final on July 19, 2026. “New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets,” said Attorney General James. “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. I thank Attorney General Davenport for joining this effort to get answers from FIFA and protect our states’ consumers.” “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,” said Attorney General Davenport. “We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation of FIFA’s conduct, and we are proud to stand together with Attorney General James in protecting our consumers. It’s an honor to host the World Cup, but the event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors.” “As excitement builds for the 2026 World Cup, New Yorkers and visitors from around the world deserve transparency and fairness when purchasing tickets,” said DCWP Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine. “Reports of FIFA conduct in violation of the City’s Consumer Protection Law, including misleading fans about seat locations and artificially inflating prices, are deeply troubling. DCWP takes allegations of blatantly deceptive conduct very seriously and will not hesitate to take enforcement action. We are proud to work with Attorneys General James and Davenport in this investigation to help ensure FIFA’s ticketing practices at MetLife Stadium and beyond are transparent, and that soccer fans are not taken advantage of during one of the biggest sporting events on the planet.” The investigation will probe a range of issues that have arisen with FIFA’s ticketing process. Fans have reported they were misled about where the tickets they were purchasing would be located. For its initial ticket sales, FIFA’s seat maps divided stadiums into four zones named Category 1 through Category 4, with Category 1 seats in the most desirable location. Yet after many fans had already bought tickets, FIFA created new zones, Front Categories 1 through 4, made up of the most desirable seats within each Category. Tickets in these Front Categories cost significantly more. Reports indicate that fans who bought tickets before these new zones were introduced were excluded from those seats and instead assigned less desirable seats, including seats far from the field or behind the goals. In addition, some fans have reported that they did not receive the tickets in the Category they paid for. These fans have reported that although they selected and paid for Category 1 tickets, which were the closest areas to the field, they were assigned seats further back in Category 2 areas. The attorneys general will also investigate FIFA’s ticket prices for 2026 World Cup matches, which have far exceeded the prices for any previous World Cup tournament. FIFA has used “variable pricing” to adjust ticket prices based on demand. As FIFA released tickets in phases over the course of several months, prices for some matches skyrocketed. Press reports indicate that between October 2025 and April 2026, FIFA raised the price of tickets for more than 90 of the 104 World Cup matches, with prices for the three main ticket categories rising on average by 34%. The investigation will examine whether and how FIFA’s ticket release schedule, public statements, and other conduct may have impacted these prices. New Yorkers who have not received the World Cup tickets they paid for are encouraged to report it to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) by submitting a complaint online or calling 1 (800) 771-7755.
Black News 
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport today subpoenaed FIFA as part of an investigation into FIFA’s ticketing practices for the upcoming World Cup tournament. Recent press reports indicate that fans may have been misled about the locations of the seats they were purchasing, and FIFA’s public statements and ticket releases may have contributed to soaring prices. With investigatory support from the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), the attorneys general today sent subpoenas to FIFA seeking information about its ticketing practices. The attorneys general are specifically requesting details about ticketing practices at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will host eight World Cup matches, including the World Cup Final on July 19, 2026.
“New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets,” said Attorney General James. “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. I thank Attorney General Davenport for joining this effort to get answers from FIFA and protect our states’ consumers.”
“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,” said Attorney General Davenport. “We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation of FIFA’s conduct, and we are proud to stand together with Attorney General James in protecting our consumers. It’s an honor to host the World Cup, but the event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors.”
“As excitement builds for the 2026 World Cup, New Yorkers and visitors from around the world deserve transparency and fairness when purchasing tickets,” said DCWP Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine. “Reports of FIFA conduct in violation of the City’s Consumer Protection Law, including misleading fans about seat locations and artificially inflating prices, are deeply troubling. DCWP takes allegations of blatantly deceptive conduct very seriously and will not hesitate to take enforcement action. We are proud to work with Attorneys General James and Davenport in this investigation to help ensure FIFA’s ticketing practices at MetLife Stadium and beyond are transparent, and that soccer fans are not taken advantage of during one of the biggest sporting events on the planet.”
The investigation will probe a range of issues that have arisen with FIFA’s ticketing process. Fans have reported they were misled about where the tickets they were purchasing would be located. For its initial ticket sales, FIFA’s seat maps divided stadiums into four zones named Category 1 through Category 4, with Category 1 seats in the most desirable location. Yet after many fans had already bought tickets, FIFA created new zones, Front Categories 1 through 4, made up of the most desirable seats within each Category. Tickets in these Front Categories cost significantly more. Reports indicate that fans who bought tickets before these new zones were introduced were excluded from those seats and instead assigned less desirable seats, including seats far from the field or behind the goals.
In addition, some fans have reported that they did not receive the tickets in the Category they paid for. These fans have reported that although they selected and paid for Category 1 tickets, which were the closest areas to the field, they were assigned seats further back in Category 2 areas.
The attorneys general will also investigate FIFA’s ticket prices for 2026 World Cup matches, which have far exceeded the prices for any previous World Cup tournament. FIFA has used “variable pricing” to adjust ticket prices based on demand. As FIFA released tickets in phases over the course of several months, prices for some matches skyrocketed. Press reports indicate that between October 2025 and April 2026, FIFA raised the price of tickets for more than 90 of the 104 World Cup matches, with prices for the three main ticket categories rising on average by 34%. The investigation will examine whether and how FIFA’s ticket release schedule, public statements, and other conduct may have impacted these prices.
New Yorkers who have not received the World Cup tickets they paid for are encouraged to report it to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) by submitting a complaint online or calling 1 (800) 771-7755.
