A limited number of affordable tickets for the FIFA World Cup will be available to New Yorkers via a lottery. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that a partnership with the New York New Jersey Host Committee secured 1,000 tickets for local residents. Each ticket will cost just $50, and winners will also receive free round-trip bus tickets.
Mamdani emphasized the importance of making the tournament accessible to working people. He wanted to ensure that everyone could enjoy the event without breaking the bank.
The lottery will open at 10 a.m. on Monday. Residents can enter once a day for six days, with a cap of 50,000 entries per day. To support fairness, the tickets will be split evenly among the five boroughs.
To prevent ticket scalping, Mamdani highlighted that potential buyers may need to verify their identity and residency using documents such as IDs, pay stubs, or utility bills. Winners will pick up their tickets in person at the bus terminal before heading to the matches.
Winners will be notified via email on June 3 and will have 48 hours to purchase up to two tickets. The 1,000 tickets are divided into batches of 150 for five group games and two knockout rounds held in New York and New Jersey.
In contrast to the lottery prices, tickets on FIFA’s resale marketplace are steep. Recent data shows that the cheapest tickets for group stage games are around $553, while those for the final can reach up to $7,734. Fans should also budget for transportation, with round-trip NJ Transit tickets costing $98 and bus tickets from Manhattan priced at $20—both lower than previous costs.
The Tri-State Area will host eight games, including the final in July at MetLife Stadium. To accommodate the influx of fans, the NYC Ferry announced extended services for the matches.
With ticket prices soaring and a limited number available through the lottery, the upcoming World Cup is stirring excitement in New York. It reflects not just the city’s love for soccer but also the importance of community access to major events.
For more information on the ticket lottery, you can visit the official lottery website.
Source link
World Cup, Zohran Mamdani
