California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a probe on May 13 into FIFA over potential legal violations related to 2026 World Cup ticket sales after reports showed changes to stadium seating categories before final seat assignments [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Fans complained that seats purchased under higher-priced categories, such as Category 1, were reassigned to lower-priced categories like Category 2, different from the stadium maps used when buying tickets [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
More than three million tickets for the World Cup, set to begin June 11 across the US, Canada, and Mexico, were sold in four distinct pricing categories based on color-coded stadium maps [1, 2, 3, 4]. FIFA stated the seating maps provided during ticket sales were "only indicative" and intended as guidance, not exact final layouts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Attorney General Bonta requested documents from FIFA including the timeline of seating map changes, counts of fans affected by any seat downgrades, and information on how complaints and refunds were handled [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. He said, "Californians should be able to trust that the seats they purchase match the representations made during the sales process. We look forward to receiving the requested information from FIFA as part of our ongoing review" [1]. Bonta also noted, "Some consumers have reported feeling deceived because the seats they were ultimately assigned belonged to a lower-tiered category based on the seating map available to them at the time of purchase" [5].
The probe is grounded in California consumer protection laws that prohibit misleading marketing practices [5]. Fans and critics have expressed strong backlash over the high prices for World Cup tickets, which include a final match ticket costing as much as US$32,970 [1, 2, 3, 4].
The investigation follows initial reporting by The Athletic in April that first highlighted these fan complaints about inaccurate stadium maps used during ticket sales [1, 2, 3, 4].
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to start on June 11, with matches across the US, Canada, and Mexico [1, 2, 3, 4]. The probe remains ongoing as of May 14, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
