By JBizNews Desk

The World Cup has not even kicked off yet, and FIFA is already under investigation by two state governments over how it sold tickets.

New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced Wednesday that they have subpoenaed FIFA, demanding internal documents related to ticket pricing and seat assignments for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The investigation focuses on the eight matches scheduled for MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — including the World Cup final on July 19.

A subpoena is not a lawsuit or a finding of wrongdoing. It is a legal demand for records and documents. But it signals that two major state consumer-protection offices believe there are enough complaints to warrant a formal investigation.

The case centers on two separate issues.

The first is ticket pricing.

The second is whether fans were moved out of the seats they originally believed they purchased.

Start with pricing.

For the first time in World Cup history, FIFA used “dynamic pricing” — a system where ticket prices rise and fall depending on demand. Airlines and concert promoters have used similar systems for years.

According to the attorneys general, FIFA raised ticket prices on more than 90 of the tournament’s 104 matches between October 2025 and April 2026, with average increases of roughly 34% across major seating categories.

At MetLife Stadium, some tickets are now averaging around $2,800, according to the states.

The attorneys general argue those prices are dramatically higher than previous World Cups.

But the issue is not simply that prices went up.

The larger complaint is that the pricing system may not actually have worked both ways.

In a May 7 letter sent to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, New Jersey Democratic lawmakers Frank Pallone and Nellie Pou alleged that prices remained elevated even when resale-market demand weakened.

“FIFA is continuing to sell these tickets at high prices, despite resale prices being lower,” the lawmakers wrote. “This suggests that prices are being held artificially high, even when the market signals otherwise.”

That allegation matters because FIFA promoted dynamic pricing as a market-based system that would reflect real-time demand.

Critics now argue the prices appeared to move mostly in one direction: upward.

Then there is the seating controversy.

According to the states, FIFA originally divided MetLife Stadium into four basic seating categories when tickets first went on sale.

Later, after fans had already purchased seats, FIFA reportedly created new “Front Category” premium sections inside those original seating zones.

The states allege some fans who believed they had purchased premium seats were subsequently reassigned to less desirable locations after the seating map changed.

According to the complaints, some buyers were moved farther from the field or behind the goal areas despite paying for what they believed were superior seats.

That accusation prompted unusually direct criticism from Davenport.

“Being honest about ticket sales is not complicated,” she said. “But FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity and impossibly high prices.”

James framed the issue more broadly as a consumer-protection matter affecting local fans.

“New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets,” she said. “No one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats, and fans should be able to trust that the tickets they purchased will be the ones they receive.”

The subpoenas seek internal FIFA records involving ticket allocation, pricing decisions, seat inventory, category changes and public communications about the sales process.

FIFA has defended its approach.

Infantino and FIFA officials have argued that World Cup demand is genuinely extraordinary and that high prices simply reflect limited inventory for one of the largest sporting events on earth.

That argument is not insignificant.

The World Cup final is among the most sought-after sports tickets globally, and resale listings for top seats have reportedly reached astronomical levels.

The investigation will likely focus on whether FIFA’s claims of scarcity accurately reflected the actual ticket inventory and pricing practices behind the scenes.

For fans in the New York and New Jersey area, the attorneys general are also encouraging consumers who believe they were affected to file complaints directly with their offices.

That detail suggests investigators are actively gathering firsthand accounts from ticket buyers in addition to reviewing FIFA’s internal records.

The tournament itself is not affected.

The first World Cup match at MetLife Stadium is scheduled for June 13, with the final set for July 19.

The games will go on.

The question now is whether FIFA will eventually need to explain its ticket strategy not just to soccer fans, but to regulators and possibly a courtroom as well.

New York — JBizNews Desk

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