New York City has launched an initiative to expand access to the 2026 FIFA World Cup by securing 1,000 discounted tickets for residents, paired with free round-trip bus transportation to MetLife Stadium. The program offers tickets at $50 each and is intended to make matches more accessible to working New Yorkers.
The initiative was announced in Harlem’s Little Senegal by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, where residents, community leaders and elected officials gathered to highlight efforts to broaden participation in the global tournament.
"A World Cup is coming to our backyard, and we want to ensure working-class New Yorkers have the opportunity to be part of it," said Mayor Mamdani. "We sat down with the Host Committee to make certain this tournament belongs to the people who make this city what it is. Today, 1,000 New Yorkers are going to get into those stands for $50 and a free bus ride. I'm proud that New York City is leading the way."
The allocation includes five group stage matches and two knockout-round games, with about 150 tickets per match. Residents ages 15 and older can enter a lottery beginning Monday, May 25 at 10:00am through Saturday, May 30 at midnight. Entries are limited to one per person per day, with a cap of 50,000 daily entries. Winners will be selected at random.
Selected participants will be notified June 3 and may purchase up to two tickets each. Tickets will be nontransferable and distributed directly to winners on match days at designated pickup points, a measure designed to discourage resale. Transportation to and from MetLife Stadium will be provided for all ticket holders.
“This program exists because the mayor was determined to make sure working New Yorkers would be in the stands when the World Cup comes home to New York,” said NYC World Cup Czar Maya Handa. “A kid in the Bronx, a security guard in Queens, a restaurant worker in Brooklyn or Staten Island—they are going to walk into the stadium this summer because their city fought for them to be there.”
The program is structured to reduce cost barriers to a high-demand international event hosted in the region and to widen access for residents who might otherwise be priced out of attendance. The initiative is intended to ensure residents across the city can participate, including working New Yorkers often excluded from major sporting events due to cost.
The effort reflects a shared focus on affordability and access as preparations for the tournament continue. Council Member Yusef Salaam noted the significance of holding the announcement in Harlem, citing its long-standing cultural role and community ties.
The initiative is part of broader planning around the tournament aimed at increasing local access to events as the region prepares to host matches.
