The US states of New York and New Jersey have announced a probe into whether FIFA has exploited football fans with “impossibly high” World Cup ticket prices.
Prosecutors in the two states said on Wednesday they would investigate ticket practices by the game’s governing body and organiser of the tournament, starting June 11 in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity, and impossibly high prices,” said Jennifer Davenport, attorney general for New Jersey, which will host the final on July 19.
“We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation of FIFA’s conduct,” she said.
The investigation will probe reports that fans were misled about seat locations and hurt by aggressive demand-based price-setting, where prices rise according to sales.
“New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets,” said the state’s attorney general, Letitia James.
