FIFA's World Cup Ticket Bait-and-Switch Draws California Into the Fight | Kabateck & Karnikian: Off the Record, Ep. 4

California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent FIFA a letter demanding answers on its 2026 World Cup ticketing practices, joining New York and New Jersey in looking at possible consumer protection violations. FIFA sold tickets by color-coded category rather than specific seats, then reclassified sections after the sale, bumping category-one buyers down as prime seats went to sponsors and hospitality packages. Prices rose too, 90 of 104 pricing categories increased between October 2025 and April 2026, some by as much as 34%, with a category-one final ticket reportedly jumping from $6,730 to $11,000.

FIFA says its seating maps were guides, not guarantees. A defense unlikely to survive California's unfair competition law (Bus. & Prof. Code 17200). Bonta isn't bound by FIFA's arbitration clause or class-action waiver, since those only bind private litigants. No lawsuits filed yet, but firms are reportedly circling.

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