FIFA is under investigation ahead of the World Cup in the US.

(NLĐO) - FIFA is facing an investigation in the US regarding the sharp increase in ticket prices and the lack of transparency in the ticketing process ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

On May 27th, New York State Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey State Attorney General Jennifer Davenport confirmed that an investigation has been launched to clarify FIFA's ticket pricing policies, ticket allocation methods, and potential consumer rights violations.

This is the first time in World Cup history that FIFA has implemented a "dynamic ticket pricing" model, causing ticket prices for many matches to increase significantly compared to others. For example, the top-tier tickets for the final in New Jersey, initially priced at $6,730, have been pushed up to nearly $11,000 – considerably higher than the approximately $1,600 price tag for the most expensive tickets at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Furthermore, tickets in the "Front Category" closest to the pitch are now priced above $30,000.

In response to this issue, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: "They are simply adapting to the North American market."

In addition, FIFA has been criticized for not publicly disclosing the number of remaining tickets, the sales launch dates, and price adjustments. Buyers can only choose their ticket category instead of specific seating positions, leading to many cases where people pay a large sum of money but receive less favorable seating, failing to get the value for their money.

US legal experts argue that FIFA is creating artificial scarcity to stimulate demand, and warn of the risk of violating consumer protection laws in the country.

Although FIFA has not yet issued an official response on the matter, it is believed that it is unlikely to change the ticketing process with the opening day fast approaching. Nevertheless, the organization could still face class-action lawsuits after the tournament.

Meanwhile, FIFA continues to defend its position that this high price accurately reflects the characteristics of the North American market and its expectation that the 2026 World Cup will generate over $11 billion in revenue.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/fifa-bi-dieu-tra-truoc-them-world-cup-tai-my-196260529161657396.htm