Exorbitant resale ticket prices have raised concerns ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Mexico and Ontario have laws limiting resale above face value, while the United States lacks similar rules. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani negotiated with FIFA to secure 1,000 tickets priced at $50 for New Yorkers. Tickets will be distributed by ballot to local residents and allocated across five group stage matches, a round of 32 match, and a round of 16 match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The cheapest tickets available will include free round-trip bus travel. Tickets are non-transferable to prevent scalping and winners must receive them in person at the bus terminal before attending. Mamdani also points to dynamic pricing and has shifted from a paid fan fest to free fan fests across the five boroughs.
"Mamdani negotiated with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to get 1,000 tickets priced at only $50 per ticket for New Yorkers. They'll be distributed by ballot to local residents and split across five group stage fixtures, a round of 32 game, and a round of 16 game, all of which will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J."
""We know that ticket prices for this tournament have soared into the thousands of dollars. There are countless New Yorkers who are desperate to attend the World Cup matches but who simply cannot afford to go," Mamdani said at a press conference with USMNT forward and Brooklyn native Tim Weah in attendance. "Last year, I said I would change that. I said we had to make it cheaper for New Yorkers to attend these matches, and today, I'm proud to stand here alongside so many leaders in our city and in our region to make it clear that we are doing exactly that.""
"These are the cheapest tickets that have been available for fans and will also be accompanied by free round-trip bus travel to the games. To prevent scalping, tickets are non-transferable and will be given to winners in person at the bus terminal before they attend matches. Mamdani has spoken out about the issues that dynamic pricing is causing in making games accessible, and things such as this and dismantling New York City's paid fan fest to instead host free fan fests in each of the five boroughs are ways to combat that price gouging ahead of the tournament."
Read at CBS Sports
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