New York and New Jersey attorneys general launched an investigation in May 2026 into FIFA’s ticketing practices for the 2026 World Cup, citing concerns over exorbitant costs, misleading seat location information, and the use of dynamic pricing to inflate demand. The inquiry targets FIFA’s sales tactics ahead of the tournament, which will include matches at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Attorney General Letitia James of New York and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport of New Jersey said the probe will examine whether consumers were misled or overcharged. "New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets," James said.

Some tickets for the final match on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium may cost nearly $33,000, with resale prices reportedly reaching $2 million. Average ticket prices for early group-stage matches ranged from $380 to $4,105, while seats for the final were listed at $13,000. FIFA is using dynamic pricing for the first time in World Cup history, a system that algorithmically adjusts prices based on demand and is enabled by the U.S.’s relatively unregulated ticketing environment.

According to an analysis from the Athletic, FIFA’s three main ticket categories saw average price increases of 34% between October 2025 and April 2026, with multiple hikes during that period. Despite these prices, resale market values were already falling as of May 2026 due to insufficient purchasing activity at high price points.

Victor Matheson, professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, warned that the pricing strategy risks excluding ordinary fans. "It’s a real concern that you might have a world where stadiums—instead of being full of vibrant and excited fans—are instead full of rich people on their phones taking selfies for their influencer accounts," he said. Matheson added that pricing out families could undermine long-term fan engagement: "Can you really become a beloved sport if the kids aren’t able to get there because their parents can’t afford to take them to a bunch of games? [When] people don’t get a chance to casually go to games and you essentially price out your clientele, eventually that means you don’t have fans at all."

Economists and tourism experts have cautioned that high ticket and travel costs may limit attendance to wealthy individuals. FIFA has sold 5 million tickets for the tournament and made $60 tickets available for every match after New York City secured 1,000 discounted seats for residents.