A new lawsuit claims that FIFA engaged in deceptive practices to grant premium World Cup suits to VIPs, rich fat cats, and corporate managers.
The class action lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., earlier this month against FIFA’s U.S. subsidiary accused the organizers of giving fans the “misimpression they had a shot at primo seats near the midfield sideline by including them in a wide area marked ‘Category 1,’” per the New York Post.
Since customers could only buy tickets by category — and not for specific seats — fans surmised they had a shot at ending up with the best spots once the tickets were actually doled out, the suit says.
But the process was effectively rigged because FIFA had already allocated the best Category 1 seats to VIPs as part of wallet-busting “hospitality packages” that could cost tens of thousands of dollars per person, the suit alleges.
The suit is seeking punitive damages and demanding FIFA cough up at least $1,500 per violation for every fan who bought a Category 1 ticket while in Washington, DC.
One anonymous fan quoted in the lawsuit said that FIFA did not make “any of the sideline tickets available to people who bought Cat 1.” In contrast, another said that FIFA “intentionally misled us when they provided us with that seating chart, making us think that we had a possibility of sitting beside the pitch, when in actuality that was never possible in the first place.”
At least one plaintiff, Vera Feinhaus, said she paid $1,680 for two Cat 1 tickets but was later seated in an undesirable location near the stadium corners.
As Breitbart News reported in April, Los Angeles residents hoping to get a discount on the upcoming LA28 Olympic Games were also left wanting due to the outrageous prices offered during the “presale ticket lottery.” Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Lorraine Ali explored at the time how LA28 and city officials misled residents into believing they would get first dibs and fair prices for a once-in-a-lifetime event taking place in their own backyard.
The LA28 committee described the arrival of the Games as a boon for the city’s inhabitants, with unifying statements: “Creating the Games together!” Mayor Karen Bass promoted a “Games for All” vision. And we’ve been told over and over that tickets to events would start as low as $28, the 24% ticketing fee included!
The presale ticket lottery for those residing in ZIP Codes around LA28 venues also meant we would have a fair shake at getting into the Games, right? Finally, an affordable way into a major L.A. sporting event for those of us who are not Casey Wasserman, the multimillionaire chairman of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Residents quickly realized those promises were empty when the presale lottery went live, with major events like artistic gymnastics marked “unavailable,” including the opening ceremony. Swimming offered tickets at $1,116.27 per seat, and the closing ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum went for $4,961.20 a pop.