Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani has a different kind of campaign goal: Cheaper World Cup tickets for next year’s games in New York.
On Wednesday, he called on FIFA to ditch its plans to use dynamic pricing for 2026 World Cup ticket sales, accusing the soccer governing body of implementing “predatory ticketing practices” that will price locals out of going to games at the tournament next summer.
Mamdani, who is the current frontrunner ahead of November’s general election, launched his “Game Over Greed” petition on Tuesday night, calling on FIFA to end dynamic pricing and set a price cap on resale tickets. He also called on soccer’s governing body to set aside 15% of tickets for local residents at a discounted rate.
Mamdani said thousands of people have signed the petition since it was launched Tuesday night.
World Cup tickets are a golden goal
FIFA announced last week that it plans to use dynamic pricing to sell tickets for next summer’s World Cup. The cheapest seats during the group stages will start at $60. The Athletic reported that non-hospitality tickets for the final could rise as high as $6,730. FIFA has not specified what proportion of tickets will be available for $60.
FIFA launched ticket presales for next summer’s World Cup on Wednesday morning with the launch of the Visa Presale Draw registration. Regular ticket sales will begin in October.
Dynamic pricing, which automatically adjusts ticket prices based on demand, is often associated with inflated prices for popular events. FIFA employed the measure during the recent Club World Cup in the United States, but a shortage of demand saw ticket prices fall to just $13.40 ahead of a semi-final meeting between Chelsea and Fluminense.
However, the World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet and many expect demand for the tournament to far exceed that of the Club World Cup.
In a video posted on his social media channels shortly after The Athletic broke the news of the Game Over Greed petition on Tuesday evening, Mamdani contended that dynamic pricing would prevent genuine soccer fans from attending games at the World Cup next summer.
“Are any soccer fans actually going to be able to watch matches?” Mamdani said in a video posted on his social media accounts.
“For the first time, FIFA is using dynamic pricing. They’re going to figure out, in real time, how much they can get away with charging for a ticket,” he added.
The Queens Assembly Member also raised concerns about resale tickets, noting that tickets can be sold on an official FIFA platform “with no price cap.” He additionally criticized FIFA for not setting aside discounted tickets for local residents, stating that the governing body had done so at each of the last three World Cups.
“That means you can buy a ticket for 60 bucks and resell it for $6,000. Unlike the last three World Cups, there’s nothing set aside for residents,” Mamdani said in the video. “This all means that the biggest sporting event in the world is taking place in your backyard and you’ll be priced out of it.”
In a statement issued separately to the video, the mayoral hopeful insisted that “so many” New York City residents will not be able to afford a World Cup ticket, accusing FIFA of “quadrupling” its maximum ticket prices.
Mamdani commented that New York City is “proud” to host the World Cup as part of the New York New Jersey region next year but said many residents will be unable to afford tickets due to FIFA’s ticketing policies.
“It is important that the world’s game has the world’s people.”
FIFA expects to generate over $3 billion from ticket sales at the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in 16 venues across the US, Canada and Mexico. MetLife Stadium, which will host the World Cup final on July 19, will host a total of eight games across the tournament.
amNewYork reached out to FIFA and the New York New Jersey Host Committee for comment, and is awaiting responses.
