US States Issue Subpoenas To FIFA Over World Cup 2026 Ticket Practices

FIFA is facing growing legal scrutiny over its ticketing practices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey issued subpoenas as part of an investigation into alleged price hikes, misleading seat allocations, and the use of dynamic pricing for matches scheduled in the United States.

The investigation, announced by New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, focuses on ticket sales for matches set to be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, including the World Cup final on July 19. Officials said the subpoenas seek internal FIFA documents detailing how tickets were priced, marketed, and assigned to buyers, particularly across eight matches hosted at the venue.

At the centre of the probe are concerns over steep price increases and lack of transparency. Reports indicate that between October 2025 and April 2026, FIFA raised ticket prices for more than 90 of the 104 World Cup matches, with average increases of around 34% across key seating categories. For the final, some tickets are currently listed as high as $32,970, while earlier non-hospitality pricing for entry-level seats had been quoted at approximately $6,730 before the investigation intensified.

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Authorities are also examining complaints from fans regarding seat allocation and ticket presentation. Multiple attendees have alleged that the seats they received did not match expectations set at the time of purchase, citing confusion over seating charts and unclear or potentially misleading visual maps used during the booking process. These concerns have added to wider frustration among supporters who feel pricing and allocation systems lack transparency.

The controversy has been building for months, with fan groups filing formal complaints as early as December 2025. Some critics described FIFA’s pricing approach as a “monumental betrayal” of World Cup tradition, arguing that escalating costs risk making the tournament inaccessible to ordinary fans. In response to mounting pressure, FIFA introduced a limited number of $60 entry-level tickets, although these were quickly exhausted and did little to ease broader criticism.

The 2026 tournament is the first World Cup to fully implement dynamic pricing, a system that adjusts ticket costs in real time based on demand, similar to models used in U.S. sports and entertainment industries. However, its introduction on football’s biggest global stage has sparked debate over fairness and accessibility, with the current legal probe adding further pressure on FIFA just weeks before the tournament begins.

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