As soon as the third phase of ticket sales for the 2026 FIFA World Cup began in New York, FIFA faced strong criticism. Following the announcement of the tournament schedule, host cities, and group stages, ticket prices increased significantly.
The price of top-category tickets for the final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium has now reached 9,000 US dollars, which is five times higher than the price of final tickets at the previous World Cup.
New York’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has spoken out directly on the issue. He has called for ticket prices to be made “fair” for local residents. In a statement to the Culligans YouTube channel, Mamdani criticized the dynamic pricing system for tickets and demanded fixed pricing along with discounts for local residents.
Citing the 2018 Russia and 2022 Qatar World Cups as examples, Mamdani said,
“New York is one of the most expensive cities in the country, and people are extremely enthusiastic about the World Cup. That’s why we want ticket prices to be fixed and discounts to be available for locals.”
During the World Cup, his main goal is to ensure that as many New Yorkers as possible get the chance to watch matches inside the stadium. According to the mayor, people should not be forced to stay at home and watch on screens simply because ticket prices are too high.
Mamdani also said,
“We wanted a certain number of tickets to be reserved for supporters. FIFA has said that some tickets will be available at fixed prices, which is good news. But there is still a lot of work to be done. We don’t want the World Cup to be an event that people only watch on screens. We want people in the stadium, in the stands.”
The 23rd FIFA World Cup will begin on 11 June 2026. Including the final on 19 July, eight matches will be held in New York.
