Sports

The World Cup Starts Tomorrow and Three States Are Investigating FIFA’s Ticket Prices

By Curtis Jones · June 10, 2026

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off tomorrow at Levi’s Stadium in San Jose. It is the biggest single sporting event ever held on American soil — 48 teams, 104 matches, 16 host cities, over a billion viewers expected worldwide. And the country hosting it is furious about what it costs to attend.

Approximately 180,000 tickets remain unsold across the tournament as of this week, according to reporting from Yahoo Sports. FIFA officials have attributed the remaining inventory to “strategic holds” and said they expect sellouts by match day. Consumer advocates and state officials have offered a different explanation: the prices are too high, the purchasing process was too confusing, and FIFA changed the terms on fans who had already bought.

The best available ticket to the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 currently costs $32,970 — approximately triple what the equivalent seat cost at the 2022 final in Qatar. The tournament is the first in which FIFA used dynamic pricing — the same model airlines and concert promoters use — to adjust ticket costs based on demand. Between October 2025 and April 2026, FIFA raised prices on more than 90 of the 104 matches, with average increases of 34% across the three main ticket categories.

Three states are now formally investigating.

New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport subpoenaed FIFA in late May, seeking internal documents about ticketing practices at MetLife Stadium — including allegations that FIFA changed stadium zone maps after fans had already purchased tickets, meaning some buyers paid for one section and were moved to another without consent.

Texas joined the investigation last week, with the state’s attorney general opening a probe into FIFA’s pricing and allocation practices for matches at AT&T Stadium in Arlington and NRG Stadium in Houston. California had already requested information in May.

The investigations are civil, not criminal. FIFA has not responded publicly. The tournament is starting anyway.

The opening match — Mexico vs. Canada at Levi’s Stadium — kicks off at 5:30 PM Pacific tomorrow. The first US men’s national team match is Saturday. Whatever the attorneys general find, the games are being played. Whether the fans who wanted to be there can afford to be is the question FIFA will be answering for a long time after the final whistle.