$50 World Cup tickets? Zohran Mamdani announces discounted seats for lucky New Yorkers
CNN • • general
Key Points:
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a lottery for 1,000 discounted World Cup tickets priced at $50 each, covering five group stage games and two knockout games at MetLife Stadium, temporarily renamed New York New Jersey Stadium.
- The lottery will run from May 25 for six days, with daily signups capped at 50,000, exclusively for NYC residents, ensuring representation from all five boroughs; winners can purchase an additional ticket and receive free bus transportation to the stadium.
- The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, has faced criticism over high ticket and transportation costs, including inflated train fares from NYC to the stadium, which have since been slightly reduced.
- US Men’s National Team player Timothy Weah supported the initiative, emphasizing the importance of making soccer accessible to the community and inspiring the next generation of players.
- Matches at the stadium include high-profile games like Brazil vs Morocco and France vs Senegal, as well as a round-of-32 and round-of-16 match, but discounted tickets are not available for the World Cup final hosted there.