NYC Offers 1,000 World Cup Tickets at $50 Through Lottery

Thousands of New Yorkers who thought attending the 2026 World Cup was financially impossible just got a real chance to be there.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday that 1,000 World Cup tickets will be available to city residents for just $50 each. Regular tickets for the tournament have soared into the thousands of dollars, putting the matches out of reach for many soccer fans.

The tickets cover seven matches at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, including group stage games featuring Brazil vs Morocco, France vs Senegal, and Panama vs England. Two knockout round matches are also included, though the final is not part of this program.

Starting May 25, eligible New York City residents can enter a six-day lottery with one entry allowed per person each day. Daily signups are capped at 50,000 entrants, and all five boroughs will be represented among the winners.

Winners get to purchase their ticket plus one additional seat, meaning they can bring a friend or family member. The package also includes free bus transportation to and from the stadium, addressing another major cost barrier.

Transportation costs had become a flashpoint for the tournament. Train fares from New York City to the stadium had jumped to nearly 12 times the regular price before criticism forced slight reductions.

The Ripple Effect

US Men's National Team player Timothy Weah joined Mamdani at the announcement in Harlem's Little Senegal neighborhood. The New York native emphasized how accessible events like this inspire young athletes who see professional sports as out of reach.

"As a kid, it was always a dream to be up here and to be in stadiums playing," Weah said. "If I can help the next kid get to that stage, I think it's a wonderful feeling."

The initiative directly tackles what Mamdani called "too many cost barriers" in soccer, from watching professional matches to even playing the sport recreationally. By making the world's biggest sporting event accessible to working families, the program creates opportunities for young New Yorkers to witness elite competition firsthand.

The 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, represents a once-in-a-generation chance for American soccer fans to see the tournament on home soil.

For 1,000 lucky New Yorkers, that dream just became affordable reality.