New York City residents will soon get a rare opportunity to attend this summer’s FIFA World Cup matches at a fraction of the usual cost, after Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a special ticket initiative aimed at making the global tournament more accessible to everyday New Yorkers.
The mayor revealed Thursday that 1,000 tickets priced at $50 each will be reserved exclusively for city residents for matches being played in the New York-New Jersey area.
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“To put that into perspective, that is five lattes in New York City,” Mamdani joked during an announcement in Harlem’s Little Senegal neighborhood alongside U.S. men’s national team player Timothy Weah.
The discounted tickets will apply to seven of the eight matches scheduled to be played at MetLife Stadium in neighboring New Jersey. The only exception will be the July 19 World Cup final, where some ticket prices have reportedly climbed to nearly $33,000.
In addition to the discounted entry, selected residents will also receive free round-trip bus transportation to the stadium. The tickets will be distributed through a lottery system beginning May 25.
With ongoing criticism surrounding the soaring costs of World Cup tickets, Mamdani said the city wants to ensure that residents, not ticket resellers, benefit from the initiative.
According to the mayor, the tickets will be non-transferable, and city officials will use several methods to verify residency. Fans will reportedly receive their tickets directly while boarding transportation to the stadium on match day.
“We are making sure that working people will not be priced out of the game that they helped to create,” Mamdani said.
The mayor added that the initiative reflects his administration’s broader effort to make not only housing and groceries more affordable, but also experiences that contribute to quality of life.
“It extends to making it possible for every New Yorker to take part in the things that make us human,” he stated.
During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani publicly urged FIFA to reserve 15 percent of World Cup tickets at discounted rates for local residents. He also launched a petition criticizing FIFA’s demand-based pricing model.
The newly announced $50 tickets, however, are not being provided directly by FIFA. Instead, they come from allocations granted to the New York-New Jersey host committee overseeing the matches.
Previously, FIFA made a limited number of $60 tickets available for tournament matches across North America following backlash over rising prices. Those tickets were distributed through national football federations to loyal supporters who regularly attend matches.
Besides the final, New York Giants and New York Jets home stadium is scheduled to host five group-stage World Cup matches and two knockout-round games.
Group-stage matches featuring former champions Brazil, France, Germany, and England are set to begin on June 13.
