New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that 1,000 World Cup tickets priced at $50 each will be made available to city residents for matches held at MetLife Stadium this summer, according to fortune.com. The tickets will be distributed through a lottery starting May 25, with about 150 tickets allocated per game for seven of the eight matches, excluding the final.
The initiative aims to provide affordable access to the World Cup, where ticket prices can reach nearly $33,000 for the final. Mamdani revealed the plan during an event in Harlem’s Little Senegal neighborhood alongside U.S. men’s national team forward Timothy Weah. To ensure the tickets reach genuine New Yorkers and prevent scalping, the city will implement residency verification and make the tickets non-transferable. Ticket holders will also receive free roundtrip bus transportation to the stadium, with tickets handed out directly as fans board the bus on game day.
This effort addresses concerns over the high cost of attending the World Cup, which is the most watched sporting event globally. By offering affordable tickets, the city is working to include working-class residents who might otherwise be priced out. The move highlights a growing trend of local governments intervening to make major sporting events more accessible to their populations amid rising ticket prices and secondary market markups.
Looking ahead, the city will begin the lottery process on May 25, with officials closely monitoring ticket distribution to prevent resale and ensure compliance with residency requirements. Fans interested in participating should prepare to enter the lottery and await further instructions from city officials as the World Cup approaches.