FIFA faces legal pressure in US over high 2026 World Cup ticket prices

FIFA has come under legal scrutiny in the United States over allegations of excessive ticket pricing and misleading seat allocation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Authorities in the states of New York and New Jersey have jointly issued a legal notice to FIFA, demanding detailed explanations regarding the tournament’s ticket pricing structure and seating policies.

In a joint statement released on Wednesday (May 27, local time), New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup are significantly higher than those of any previous edition of the tournament.

For the first time in World Cup history, FIFA introduced a “dynamic pricing” system, allowing ticket prices to fluctuate based on demand. However, many football fans have complained that despite paying premium prices, they were allocated comparatively poor or less desirable seats inside stadiums.

The growing number of complaints reportedly prompted authorities in both states to launch an investigation and formally seek clarification from FIFA.

Tickets for the tournament first went on sale in October last year. Defending the pricing model earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino cited unprecedented global demand for World Cup tickets and said the supply of available seats remained limited compared to demand.

According to the legal notice, FIFA has been asked to provide detailed information regarding its pricing mechanism for matches scheduled in New York and New Jersey, including how seat location influences ticket pricing and whether consumers are receiving the seating quality promised at the time of purchase.

“No one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices through unfair practices,” Letitia James said, adding that ticket buyers must receive the seats they were led to expect when making their purchase.