The California Attorney General’s Office asked FIFA to explain why some ticket categories were changed after they were sold.
Published May 14, 2026
The state of California has contacted FIFA regarding possible violations of the law in the sale of World Cup tickets, the state’s attorney general announced, after allegations that some fans purchased seats in categories that were later changed.
The investigation comes after supporters complained about the high cost of tickets for this year’s tournament, and following reports that football’s governing body sold tickets by category shown on a stadium map, but later adjusted the categories before allocating specific seats.
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“Californians should be able to trust that the seats they purchase are consistent with the representations made during the sales process,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement Wednesday.
“We look forward to receiving the information requested by FIFA as part of the ongoing review.”
The Athletic first reported last month that World Cup ticket buyers were accusing FIFA of “misleading” them with stadium maps that misrepresented the potential locations of the seats they were buying.
More than 3 million tickets for the 2026 World Cup, which begins on June 11 and will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, were sold in four different price categories based on a color-coded stadium map displayed online during the purchase process.
However, the report said that “Category 1” ticket holders were at one point placed in a section that was color-coded as “Category 2.”
“Some consumers have reported that they felt deceived because the seats they were ultimately assigned were in a lower category based on the seating chart available at the time of purchase,” Bonta said in a letter to FIFA.
He requested a copy and the date the seating chart was changed, as well as the number of fans (if any) who ended up receiving inferior tickets.
FIFA said the category map was only an “indicator” and provided “guidance rather than precise seating arrangements”.
Soaring ticket prices for the quadrennial tournament have already sparked a global backlash, with FIFA struggling to deal with the public relations fallout.
Fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has condemned the World Cup’s pricing structure as “exorbitant” and a “gross betrayal”, saying ticket prices for the tournament, which is expected to generate $13 billion in revenue for FIFA, are out of reach for many.
The most expensive ticket for the 2022 finals in Qatar has a face value of about $1,600. In 2026, the most expensive face value ticket sold by FIFA will cost an eye-watering $32,970.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the price was appropriate for the United States, where most of the tournament’s matches will be held, including the semifinals and final.
