New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday that the city will offer residents of the five boroughs a chance to obtain affordable tickets to the World Cup through a lottery system. A total of 1,000 tickets will be made available at $50 each, providing a way for lucky New Yorkers to avoid the high prices that have stirred anger among soccer fans.
The tickets will be distributed via random draw for every game at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, with the exception of the final. There will be a block of approximately 150 tickets for each of the seven games, all located in the upper bowl of the 82,000-capacity stadium. Additionally, the $50 price includes bus transportation to and from the events.
This move comes as the mayor takes aim at FIFA over ticket pricing for the tournament taking place this summer in June and July. The initiative aims to provide access to the event for a small number of residents in a city of more than 8 million people.