Texas Open Investigation into FIFA World Cup Ticket Issues

The hunt for answers over FIFA’s ticketing drama is now a bipartisan effort. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that his office was opening an investigation into World Cup tickets. In particular, the Longhorn State is looking into the sky-high prices and misleading seat maps. FIFA has refused to comment on the newest investigation.

Texas joins New York and New Jersey, which already have investigations underway. 

The World Cup kicks off today and will run through July 19.

FIFA’s Affordability Promise Falls Short

Last year, FIFA President Gianni Infantino insisted that affordable tickets would be made available for the World Cup. The expanded field would allow more fans to get to matches, but it quickly became apparent that wouldn’t be the case.

The initial tickets were expensive and sold out quickly due to high demand. As a result, the prices on the secondary market were eye-popping, with many matches requiring fans to pay $1,000+ just to get in the door.

High ticket prices have been exacerbated by other rapidly rising costs of attending, including transportation and on-site retail purchases. This priced many soccer fans from around the world out, raising concerns about the tournament’s attendance.

States Won’t Let FIFA Sidestep Seating Maps

As fans began receiving their World Cup tickets, social media was flooded with complaints. Many fans were assigned seats outside the area they had purchased, placing them in sections where other fans paid far less. These fans spent significant money to secure the best possible seats, but FIFA attempted to move them to lower-cost seats quietly.

While ticket prices are a concern, the accusation of misleading seating maps may be more serious for FIFA. Many fans overpaid due to the league’s promise, which may violate consumer protection laws.

New York Attorney General Letitia James emphasized in a statement announcing the state’s own investigation.

New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets. No one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats, and fans should be able to trust that the tickets they purchased will be the ones they receive.

What Can States Really Do?

Lawmakers across the US have not been shy to critique FIFA over the last year. However, as the fight against offshore sportsbooks has shown us, states may be limited in their ability to take meaningful action against the league.

FIFA’s headquarters is in Zürich, Switzerland. Since it's a business, states cannot take legal action against it on their own. They would need the help of the federal government, which would face a long and costly legal fight that it may not win. 

Considering the White House’s unshaken relationship with FIFA, it seems unlikely they would take up the state’s cause.