According to what was revealed by the French newspaper “Le Parisien”, the investigation came after a report published by “The Athletic”, which indicated that some fans were surprised by the change in the classification of their seats after completing the purchase process, despite having paid high sums to obtain the best categories inside the stadiums.
The American authorities asked FIFA to hand over the original and updated maps of the host stadiums, in addition to clarifying the dates of the amendments made to the seat classifications, and the number of fans affected by these changes, especially with California hosting the championship matches in the cities of Los Angeles and Santa Clara.
This crisis comes at a time when criticism is mounting against the prices of tickets for the 2026 World Cup, which many fans and mass organizations have described as unprecedentedly exaggerated.
The European Football Fans Organization had previously accused FIFA of exploiting fans and violating the principle of transparency in selling tickets, amid growing fears that the tournament would turn into an event that would be difficult for ordinary fans to attend.
On the other hand, the International Federation defended itself by stressing that the maps that appeared during the purchase process were only “indicative” and not final, indicating that some amendments may occur later due to organizational and technical arrangements related to the stadiums.
The issue is expected to raise more controversy in the coming months, especially with continued public anger before the start of the first edition of the World Cup with the participation of 48 teams in the United States, Canada and Mexico. (Russia Today)
