NJ, NY attorneys general launch investigation into FIFA World Cup ticket sales

The attorneys general of New Jersey and New York have launched an investigation into FIFA World Cup ticket sales.

NJ Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and NY Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday that they will be looking into FIFA's ticketing practices for the upcoming World Cup tournament.

The investigation comes after reports that fans are allegedly being misled about the locations of the seats they were purchasing.

They also alleged that FIFA's public statements and ticket releases may have contributed to soaring prices.

"It's an honor to host the World Cup, but the event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors," Davenport said.

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The attorneys general said they sent subpoenas to FIFA on Wednesday, seeking information about its ticketing practices. They said they are also specifically requesting details about ticketing practices for eight World Cup matches hosted in New Jersey, including the World Cup final.

For initial ticket sales, FIFA released seat maps that organizers said divided the stadiums into four zones, including a zone for the most desirable location.

However, after many fans bought tickets, FIFA allegedly created new zones with new desirable locations in each, with the best seats costing significantly more.

The AGs said that the fans who had initially bought tickets before the new zones were introduced were "excluded from those seats."

Some fans also claim they did not receive the tickets for the category they paid for. These fans say that despite selecting and paying for top-tier tickets, which were the closest areas to the field, they were assigned seats further back in a different zone.

"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," Davenport said.

"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," James said.

Davenport and James say the investigation will also examine why 2026 World Cup ticket prices far exceeded the prices for any previous World Cup tournament.

While FIFA has used "variable pricing" based on demand, the AGs say that the phased releases of the tickets have caused prices for some matches to "skyrocket," specially noting that some reports show that between October 2025 and April 2026, FIFA raised the price of tickets for more than 90 of the 104 World Cup matches, with some increasing upward of 34%.

New Jerseyans who have not received the World Cup tickets they paid for are encouraged to file a complaint on the Division of Consumer Affairs website.

Action News reached out to FIFA but they declined to comment.