New York – NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a lottery for 1,000 FIFA-distributed World Cup tickets priced at $50 for city residents. The online entry window opens Monday, May 25 at 10 a.m. ET and closes midnight Saturday, May 30. Winners will be notified June 3 and mus
For New Yorkers who’ve watched World Cup tickets climb well beyond reach, the offer arrives with a stark new number: $50.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a ticket lottery for city residents seeking FIFA-distributed seats to the World Cup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. New Jersey. Only New York City residents can enter, and the virtual line forms online starting Monday, May 25 at 10 a.m. ET—ending at midnight Saturday, May 30.
Mamdani negotiated directly with FIFA president Gianni Infantino to secure 1,000 tickets priced at $50 each for city residents. He said those seats are the cheapest FIFA-distributed options anywhere in the tournament, a major contrast to current pricing.
The 1,000 tickets will be split into batches of 150 across seven MetLife Stadium matches. Five are group stage games: Brazil vs. Morocco on June 13, France vs. Senegal on June 16, Norway vs. Senegal on June 22, Ecuador vs. Germany on June 25, and Panama vs. England on June 27. Two will be knockout round matches: a Round of 32 game on June 30 and a Round of 16 on July 5.
Winners will also receive free round-trip bus transportation to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Tickets are non-transferrable and are handed to winners in person at the bus terminal before the match. The final is not included.
“We are making sure working people will not be priced out of the game they love,” Mamdani said.
On FIFA’s official resale marketplace, the get-in price for MetLife Stadium group stage matches has been running between $1,550 and $2,550. Secondary market prices have softened some. but even cheaper listings are still pushing $500—pricing that Mamdani has argued makes the tournament feel out of reach for many New Yorkers.
His push for affordability is rooted in his own fan history. Mamdani is a Bronx-raised Arsenal supporter who attended the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. and he made ticket affordability part of his campaign before taking office in January. After coming into power, he pushed FIFA publicly on dynamic pricing and resale caps.
The entry rules are designed to keep the program tied to New York City residents. The lottery opened at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, May 25 at www.regnyctix.com and closes at midnight Saturday, May 30. Only New York City residents age 15 or older are eligible.
Entries will be distributed evenly across the five boroughs. Entrants can enter once per day, with daily entries capped at 50,000 for a maximum of 300,000 total entries over the six days. Winners will be notified June 3 and will have 48 hours to purchase up to two tickets.
The lottery website says winners may be asked to show a state ID, pay stub, lease, or mortgage agreement to prove residency.
Mamdani was blunt about the purpose of the program. He said the entrants’ odds will not be affected by who they know.
The timing matters for anyone planning their summer around the draw. Once the entry window shuts at midnight Saturday, May 30, the next checkpoint is June 3, when winners will be notified—then they’ll have just two days to secure up to two tickets before the chance slips away.
New York City Zohran Mamdani World Cup tickets $50 lottery regnyctix.com FIFA MetLife Stadium East Rutherford lottery entry June 13 Brazil vs Morocco June 16 France vs Senegal June 30 Round of 32