Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced that New York City has secured 1,000 affordable tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2026 for local residents.
The initiative, organized with the NYNJ Host Committee, offers seats for $50 each and includes free round-trip bus transportation to MetLife Stadium.
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The announcement took place in Harlem’s Little Senegal neighborhood, a central hub for the West African soccer community in New York.
Local residents and elected officials gathered wearing tournament jerseys to support the program, which covers five group stage matches and two knockout round matches.
A total of 150 tickets will be allocated for each designated game.
New York City residents who are at least 15 years old can participate in a random lottery to win the chance to purchase up to two tickets.
"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 fifty dollars and a free bus ride.
I’m proud that New York City is leading the way."
The application portal opens online at www. regnyctix.
com on Monday, May 25th at 10 a. m.
and closes on Saturday, May 30th at midnight.
Applicants are limited to one entry per day, with a citywide cap set at 50,000 daily entries.
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Lottery winners will receive notifications on Wednesday, June 3rd.
To eliminate ticket scalping, the passes are non-transferable and will be handed out directly to the winners at the official bus boarding location on the day of each match.
"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 the result of months of direct planning between city officials and tournament organizers.
The administration focused on ensuring lower-income residents could access the historic sporting event.
"Mayor Mamdani has been unwavering in his commitment to making sure New Yorkers could be part of this historic moment in a real and meaningful way," said Alex Lasry, CEO of the FIFA World Cup 2026 NYNJ Host Committee.
"From the beginning, we pushed for a program that prioritized affordability and access for New Yorkers and worked closely together to help make that possible.
The World Cup will bring the eyes of the world to our region, and it was important to all of us that the people who define New York City could experience it firsthand."
Local representatives praised the selection of the launch site, noting the deep connection between the neighborhood and international soccer.
"Harlem has always been a global village, and now our neighbors will have a real seat at the world’s biggest stage," said Council Member Yusef Salaam.
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"Mayor Mamdani’s commitment to making the World Cup accessible to everyday New Yorkers — especially our West African community right here in Little Senegal — is exactly what it looks like when a city governs for the people."
