FIFA destroyed what was supposed to be a magical tournament and a global celebration of the beautiful game.
I hope we don't see empty stadiums, but there's a high likelihood there will be a lot of empty seats.
An excerpt from, "World Cup matches in Toronto still aren't sold out. But fans are facing high costs" CBC, May 29, 2026:
Would you rather buy a ticket to a World Cup match or pay a month’s rent at a condo near BMO Field?
With two weeks until kick-off and thousands of tickets still available for the six matches Toronto is hosting, many of the city’s soccer fans appear to be giving a definitive answer.
An excerpt from, "New York and New Jersey subpoena Fifa over ‘manipulated’ World Cup ticketing" The Guardian, May 27, 2026:
The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey have launched an investigation into Fifa’s ticketing practices around the 2026 World Cup, focusing specifically on the matches due to take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The investigation, announced Wednesday by New York’s Letitia James and New Jersey’s Jennifer Davenport, centers on fans who say they were misled about the location of the seats and on claims that Fifa’s own public messaging around tickets has contributed to the inflated prices seen throughout the tournament.
A Fifa spokesperson declined to comment.
An excerpt from, "Should Canada investigate World Cup ticket pricing alongside U.S.?" Global News, May 29, 2026:
As concerns grow about pricey World Cup tickets, two American attorneys general have announced they plan to probe “a range of issues that have arisen with FIFA’s ticketing process.”
This includes dynamic pricing that’s driven the cost of the most in-demand tickets to five figures.
On Wednesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport released a joint announcement that they’re subpoenaing documents from FIFA regarding its pricing practices for matches at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Ticket prices for this tournament aren't just much higher than previous World Cups. For the first time, FIFA has introduced dynamic pricing, leading to sharply higher prices for many World Cup games.. . .A clear example is for the final match, set to take place in New Jersey on July 19. FIFA initially sold the most expensive tickets at $6,730 — already much higher than the about $1,600 price for the most expensive tickets for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.By its latest sales windows starting in April, the same category of tickets cost $10,990.. . .The prices have sparked widespread outrage — and drawn wide scrutiny on FIFA. Even President Trump, who has established a close relationship with Infantino, told the New York Post he wouldn't pay the roughly $1,000 for nosebleed seats for the U.S. opening game against Paraguay next month.Compounding the problem, FIFA back in April also unveiled an entirely new category of tickets called "Front Category" seats, offering front row seats across the stadium, that were priced even more expensively.
