New York mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced a limited ticket access programme aimed at making the 2026 FIFA World Cup more affordable for New York City residents, with 1,000 subsidised tickets priced at $50 each alongside free round-trip transportation to matches at MetLife Stadium.The announcement was made in Harlem’s Little Senegal neighbourhood, widely regarded as the centre of New York’s African football community, as concerns continue growing over soaring ticket and travel costs surrounding the expanded 2026 World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico.Mamdani said the initiative was specifically designed to ensure working-class New Yorkers were not excluded from one of the biggest sporting events in the world because of rising prices.“A World Cup is coming to our backyard, and we want to ensure working-class New Yorkers have the opportunity to be part of it,” Mamdani said during the announcement.
“We sat down with the Host Committee to make certain this tournament belongs to the people who make this city what it is. Today, 1,000 New Yorkers are going to get into those stands for fifty dollars and a free bus ride. I’m proud that New York City is leading the way.”
Programme will cover seven matches at MetLife Stadium but excludes the final
The programme will apply to seven of the eight World Cup matches scheduled for MetLife Stadium, which will host five group-stage games, one Round of 32 fixture and one Round of 16 tie during the tournament.The only excluded match is the World Cup final on July 19, where some resale ticket prices have already approached nearly $33,000.Around 150 tickets are expected to be allocated per eligible match under the scheme, with seats located in the upper bowl of the 82,000-capacity stadium.The matches included are:
- Brazil vs Morocco on June 13
- France vs Senegal on June 16
- Norway vs Senegal on June 22
- Ecuador vs Germany on June 25
- Panama vs England on June 27
- A Round of 32 match on June 30
- A Round of 16 match on July 5
The lottery system will officially open on May 25 and close on May 30, with organisers allowing up to 50,000 entries per day.Each selected winner will be permitted to purchase a maximum of two tickets.According to the mayor’s office, the tickets will be non-transferable and distributed directly to successful applicants on matchday as they board buses travelling to the stadium.City officials also said multiple verification measures would be used to confirm residency and prevent ticket resale on secondary markets.“We are making sure that working people will not be priced out of the game that they helped to create,” Mamdani said.
People listen as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani makes a World Cup soccer tournament announcement at Harlem Tavern, Thursday, May 21, 2026 in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
Free transportation plan comes after major backlash over World Cup travel costs
The ticket announcement also arrives after sustained criticism surrounding transportation pricing between New York City and MetLife Stadium in neighbouring New Jersey.New Jersey Transit had initially proposed return train fares of $150 from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium during the tournament, compared to the normal $13 fare.That price was later reduced to $105 following backlash.Bus services between New York City and the stadium are meanwhile expected to cost roughly $80 per person during the World Cup period.
FILE – Fans play with a ball outside the Metlife Stadium prior to the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea and PSG in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)
Under Mamdani’s new scheme, round-trip bus transportation will be fully included within the $50 ticket package.The city described the programme as a joint initiative between the mayor’s office and the NY/NJ World Cup Host Committee rather than a direct FIFA-run project.
Mamdani previously criticised FIFA over pricing and accessibility concerns
Mamdani has repeatedly criticised FIFA’s handling of ticket affordability since before taking office in January.During his mayoral campaign, Zohran Mamdani publicly urged FIFA to reserve 15 percent of World Cup tickets at discounted prices for local residents, abandon its dynamic pricing model, and cap ticket resales, proposals FIFA has not adopted.Speaking during a campaign stop in September, Mamdani said many genuine football supporters were effectively being excluded from the tournament.“There’s just no chance for so many who love this game so much to actually be able to go and see this,” he said at the time.“This also has a real impact on the potential for the atmosphere of the World Cup and just how many fans will actually be there. Because so often the people who get the tickets quickest are not the ones who are actually the most eager to be there. They’re the ones who are the most excited at the prospect of a profit.”
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani makes a World Cup soccer announcement at Harlem Tavern, Thursday, May 21, 2026 in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
FIFA had earlier attempted to ease criticism by releasing a limited batch of $60 tickets across the tournament, although those seats accounted for only around 1.6 percent of the total tickets released for sale.Those discounted tickets were distributed through national football federations, which then decided how to allocate them among loyal supporters who had regularly attended previous international matches.
Mamdani reportedly raised affordability concerns directly with FIFA president Gianni Infantino
According to reporting from The Athletic citing sources with direct knowledge of negotiations, Mamdani personally raised the issue of affordability with Gianni Infantino during a meeting at City Hall in Manhattan earlier this year.The report stated that Mamdani, a lifelong Arsenal F.C. supporter, was also introduced through FaceTime during the meeting to former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who now serves as FIFA’s chief of global football development.The city has also described the programme as the first known example so far of an individual host city creating its own separate ticket-access initiative specifically for local residents during the 2026 World Cup.The move mirrors similar discounted local ticket programmes that were introduced for residents during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.Alongside Mamdani during Thursday’s announcement was Timothy Weah of the United States men’s national team, as organisers continued promoting the city’s involvement in the tournament.The 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin on June 11 and conclude on July 19, featuring an expanded 48-team format and a record 104 matches across North America.
