NEW YORK (Diya TV) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday that city residents will get access to 1,000 FIFA World Cup tickets priced at just $50 each, a move that quickly sparked criticism from officials across the river in New Jersey.
The discounted ticket deal applies only to New York City residents, even though the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The agreement has intensified political tensions between leaders in New York and New Jersey as both states prepare for one of the world’s biggest sporting events. Mamdani said the program aims to make World Cup matches affordable for working-class fans who normally could not afford soaring ticket prices.
“We are making sure that working people will not be priced out of the game that they helped to create,” Mamdani said during a news conference Thursday.
The city said the 1,000 tickets will be distributed through a public lottery scheduled for Monday morning. The tickets cover seven matches leading up to the World Cup final. The city will also provide free bus transportation for selected fans. Officials in New Jersey reacted sharply to the announcement. They argued the arrangement favors New York residents even though New Jersey will host the matches. A spokesperson for New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill accused FIFA of ignoring the financial burden placed on New Jersey residents during the tournament.
“FIFA not caring about costs for New Jersey residents isn’t new,” spokesperson Stephen Sigmund said. “This is just another reason why Governor Sherrill is working hard to lower costs on our own.”
State officials told ESPN they believe Mamdani received favorable treatment because of his close cooperation with FIFA and the New York-New Jersey Host Committee. They also suggested Sherrill’s criticism of FIFA and tournament planning may have hurt New Jersey’s standing with organizers. Despite the criticism, one New Jersey official said the state plans to launch its own discounted ticket initiative with support from corporate sponsors rather than FIFA or the host committee.
A FIFA source said the ticket arrangement was negotiated between Mamdani’s office and the host committee. FIFA’s involvement focused mainly on ensuring that ticket winners actually attend the matches. According to the source, fans will not receive tickets until they board buses traveling to the stadium. Officials believe that step will reduce ticket resales and prevent abuse of the system.
Two people familiar with the negotiations said Mamdani worked directly with FIFA President Gianni Infantino for several months to secure approval for the discounted tickets. The New York-New Jersey Host Committee denied claims that it favors New York over New Jersey. A source involved in World Cup planning said both states simply have different priorities.
“The host committee is working with the governor’s office and the mayor’s office daily,” the source said. “Mamdani ran on affordability, and today he fulfilled a campaign promise.”
The controversy also drew criticism from New Jersey lawmakers in Washington. U.S. Reps. Nellie Pou and Frank Pallone Jr. criticized FIFA’s ticket policies and called the new program a “publicity stunt.” The lawmakers recently sent a letter to FIFA demanding more transparency about ticket pricing and sales practices.
“This publicity stunt does nothing to address the cost of tickets,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement Thursday.
They noted that 1,000 tickets represent only a tiny fraction of available seats across seven matches. The lawmakers urged FIFA to lower prices more broadly before the tournament begins.
Tensions between New York and New Jersey have continued to grow over transportation and event planning tied to the World Cup. Sherrill has criticized agreements signed under former Gov. Phil Murphy, saying New Jersey taxpayers shoulder too much of the cost for security and transit operations.
Her administration recently canceled a planned fan festival at Liberty State Park and redirected $5 million toward smaller community events across the state. The governor’s office also approved steep increases for New Jersey Transit fares on game days. A round-trip ticket from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the stadium area will cost $98 during the tournament.
Officials said visitors, not New Jersey residents, should cover the added transportation expenses. Meanwhile, FIFA ticket prices remain high. As of Thursday, the cheapest direct-sale tickets available for a group-stage match in the New York-New Jersey region cost more than $1,500. Resale tickets on FIFA Marketplace were available for less than $400.
