Fil-Am attorney general probes FIFA World Cup ticket sales

LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a letter to FIFA this week raising concerns about reports of potentially misleading ticket practices related to the 2026 World Cup, and requested information to assess potential violations of state law.

Bonta’s letter comes amid recent reports that FIFA may have sold tickets based on seating categories displayed on stadium maps and later altered those seating categorizations before assigning precise seat locations.

California law may have been violated

To assess whether California law may have been violated, Bonta has requested information including how seating categories were represented, whether seat assignments differed from those representations, what disclosures were provided to buyers and how any issues were addressed through refunds or other remedies.

FILE – FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the match schedule reveal for the 2026 soccer World Cup in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)

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A representative for FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Consumer protection laws

California has strong consumer protection laws, such as strict prohibitions on marketing practices that are likely to mislead consumers.

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Business or organizations also cannot justify misleading practices by pointing to fine print or other terms that a reasonable consumer would not have seen or understood, according to Bonta’s office.

“Californians deserve transparency and fairness when purchasing tickets for any event held in our state,” Bonta said in a statement.

Love for the sport

Bonta emphasized his love for the sport, as someone who played soccer in college and beyond, and has a daughter and daughter-in-law who play professional soccer.

His daughter Reina Bonta’s football career includes a stint at Santos FC in Brazil and was a member of the Philippine team that competed in the 2023 World Cup.

She has also been active in youth football initiatives, organizing a football camp in her grandmother’s hometown of Dumaguete to inspire young girls to take part in the sport.

Bonta 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,” Bonta added.

The World Cup is scheduled to begin June 11 with games across the United States, of which eight will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Californians who believe they were misled can file a complaint at oag.ca.gov/report. (With CNS report)

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