New York City is getting ready for one of the biggest sporting events in the world, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani is helping working-class New Yorkers to enjoy the event without the hefty price tag.
Standing in Harlem’s Little Senegal alongside African community leaders, residents, and elected officials dressed in jerseys representing nations competing in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Mayor Mamdani announced a new affordable ticket initiative that will give 1,000 New Yorkers access to World Cup matches for just $50 per seat, including free round-trip transportation to MetLife Stadium.
© FIFA via Getty ImagesThe program is being launched in partnership with the FIFA World Cup 2026 NYNJ Host Committee and aims to make the tournament accessible to families across the five boroughs.
“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,” said Mayor Mamdani. “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.”
What does the NYC $50 ticket include?
The ticket program will cover five group-stage matches and two knockout-round games scheduled at MetLife Stadium during the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament. Approximately 150 tickets will be allocated for each match.
© Getty ImagesComplimentary round-trip bus transportation to and from the stadium will be provided.
Who can request a FIFA World Cup $50 ticket?
New York City residents age 15 and older can enter a public lottery for the chance to purchase tickets. Winners will be selected at random and may purchase up to two tickets each.
© FIFA via Getty ImagesThe lottery officially opens Monday, May 25, at 10 a.m. through REGNYCTIX.com and closes Saturday, May 30, at midnight. Residents may submit one entry per day, with a daily limit of 50,000 total entries.
When will the winners be selected?
Selected winners will be notified on Wednesday, June 3. City officials say the rules are designed to stop ticket scalping and resale. Tickets will be nontransferable and distributed directly to winners at the official boarding location on the day of each match. Every winner will also receive complimentary round-trip bus transportation to and from the stadium.
© Getty Images“This program exists because the Mayor was determined to make sure working New Yorkers would be in the stands when the World Cup comes home to New York,” said NYC World Cup Czar Maya Handa. “A kid in the Bronx, a security guard in Queens, a restaurant worker in Brooklyn or Staten Island — they are going to walk into the stadium this summer because their city fought for them to be there.”
Harlem was selected as the backdrop for the announcement because of its longstanding ties to the city’s West African community and its deep cultural connection to global soccer.
Yusef Salaam praised the move as a meaningful investment in communities that are often excluded from major global events hosted in their own city. “Harlem has always been a global village, and now our neighbors will have a real seat at the world’s biggest stage,” Salaam said. “Mayor Mamdani’s commitment to making the World Cup accessible to everyday New Yorkers — especially our West African community right here in Little Senegal — is exactly what it looks like when a city governs for the people.”
Free World Cup Viewing Parties
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul, government officials, and members of the New York-New Jersey FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Committee, also announced NYC will be hosting five free World Cup viewing parties in various parts of the city.
How many people are expected to attend the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is expected to draw millions of visitors and worldwide attention to the New York-New Jersey region. With ticket prices for major international sporting events often soaring into the hundreds or thousands, the city’s new $50 initiative could become one of the most accessible World Cup ticket programs in the United States.
© AnadoluFor many New Yorkers, especially immigrant families and lifelong soccer fans, the announcement is a chance to be part of a global event unfolding in their own backyard without the financial barriers that typically come with it.
