New York City residents will get a rare opportunity to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup for just $50 after Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a special city-backed lottery offering 1,000 discounted tickets for matches at MetLife Stadium.
The initiative, unveiled Thursday, will also include free round-trip bus transportation for selected fans, marking one of the most aggressive public-access World Cup programmes announced by any host city ahead of the tournament.
The lottery opens on May 25 and will run for six days, with residents allowed to enter once per day. City officials said daily entries will be capped at 50,000 in an effort to manage overwhelming demand expected for one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
Mamdani framed the programme as an effort to ensure ordinary New Yorkers are not priced out of the global spectacle.
“We fought to make the people’s game available to the people,” the mayor said during Thursday’s announcement.
The tickets, which are non-transferable, will be distributed across seven of the eight World Cup matches scheduled at MetLife Stadium, with approximately 150 seats allocated per game. Officials confirmed the ticket supply comes from the New York/New Jersey Host Committee rather than directly from FIFA.
City authorities also said strict residency verification measures will be implemented to prevent abuse of the programme.
The announcement comes amid growing global criticism over rising World Cup ticket prices, with demand for matches in the New York metropolitan area expected to be among the highest of the entire tournament.
By pairing low-cost access with free transportation, New York officials hope to broaden participation beyond corporate buyers and wealthy fans, while reinforcing the city’s image as an inclusive host ahead of the month-long football festival.
The ticket initiative follows earlier announcements by Mamdani and New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirming free official World Cup fan festivals and public viewing events across all five boroughs throughout the tournament.
MetLife Stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is scheduled to host eight matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the final, placing the New York region at the centre of football’s biggest global event.
For many residents, the lottery may represent their only realistic chance to experience the World Cup in person as ticket prices for premium matches continue to surge worldwide.