FIFA subpoenaed over World Cup ticketing practices at MetLife Stadium
The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey are investigating FIFA over World Cup ticketing practices for matches at MetLife Stadium, which will host the final.
The two states joined to subpoena FIFA following reports that fans may have been misled about the location of the seats they purchased.
They're also looking into whether FIFA's public statements and how it released the tickets may have caused prices to spike.
CBS New New York reached out to FIFA, which declined to comment.
"The event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors"
"New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets," New York Attorney General Letitia James 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."
"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 New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said. "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."
The investigation focuses in on ticketing practices at MetLife Stadium, which will host eight matches, including the World Cup Final on July 19.
"I'd urge them just to have more transparency through this whole process. It's been shrouded in kind of secrecy, kind of making it as confusing as possible for fans and consumers who've been looking forward to this for a long time," soccer fan Jordan Likover said.
"Categories" and "Front Categories"
Initially, FIFA divided stadiums into four zones, according to the attorneys general - Categories 1-4.
Category 1 seating was the most desirable, they said. However, after initially offering up Category seating for purchase, FIFA went on to create additional zones, called "Front Categories," that subdivided the tickets within each Category into subsections 1-4, the attorneys general allege. Front Category 1 then contained the most desirable seats within each particular category.
Those Front Category tickets were substantially more expensive, the attorneys general allege. They claim that fans who initially paid top dollar for Category 1 tickets, before the Front Categories were created, found that FIFA had later changed the seating map, and they were excluded from receiving the more desirable seats in the Category they purchased.
What's more, the attorneys general allege that some fans didn't receive tickets in the Category that they purchased at all. Some who bought Category 1 tickets, for example, said they were assigned seats in the Category 2 area.
"I've heard other people describe it as a rug pull or a shell game. A weird thing to do after the seats have been assigned through the lottery," Likover said.
Likover's tickets are for a match in Arlington, Texas, but other fans have reported similar issues with the matches at MetLife.
"Allegations of blatantly deceptive conduct"
The attorneys general allege ticket prices generally for this year's World Cup matches "have far exceeded the prices for any previous World Cup tournament," adding the use of variable pricing and releasing tickets in phases artificially pumped up prices, reportedly by an average of 34%.
"As excitement builds for the 2026 World Cup, New Yorkers and visitors from around the world deserve transparency and fairness when purchasing tickets," New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine said. "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."
New Yorkers who did not receive World Cup tickets they paid for are asked to submit a complaint online or to call 1 (800) 771-7755. New Jersey residents can submit a complaint online by clicking here.
"Certainly put your name in the hat with the AG, so that if there is some kind of financial settlement, that you have a seat at the table," Teresa Murray of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group said.
"I'm all for it. I definitely don't think I'm in the minority when it comes to people who applied for tickets, and I think a lot of people feel swindled in a way by the organization," Likover said.
