Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and FIFA President Gianni Infantino have reportedly reached an agreement to allocate 1,000 tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, which will be distributed among city residents through a lottery system. Each ticket will cost $50 (approximately 85 manats), AzerNEWS reports.

These tickets cover seven matches scheduled to take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, including five group-stage games — Brazil vs Morocco on June 13, France vs Senegal on June 16, Norway vs Senegal on June 22, Ecuador vs Germany on June 25, and Panama vs England on June 27 — as well as matches in the Round of 32 and Round of 16.

The seats will be located in the upper tier of the 82,000-capacity stadium. The ticket package will also include round-trip bus transportation to and from the venue.

The lottery for residents of all five boroughs of New York will run from May 25 to May 30, with up to 50,000 applications allowed per day. Winners will be announced on June 3, and each selected participant will be eligible to purchase up to two personalized tickets, which will not be transferable or available for resale.

According to The Athletic, Mamdani first discussed the initiative directly with Infantino during a meeting at City Hall in March.

The Guardian reports that ticket pricing and transportation have been major concerns ahead of the tournament. New Jersey Transit, which operates routes between New York and MetLife Stadium, initially proposed round-trip fares of around $150 on match days, compared to a regular fare of $13. The price was later reduced to approximately $105, while the dedicated shuttle service is expected to cost about $80.

NPR notes that during the most recent sales phase, which began on April 1, ticket prices for 40 of the 104 World Cup matches increased, sparking criticism from fan groups. The European supporters’ organization FSE filed a complaint with the European Commission, while some U.S. lawmakers accused FIFA of price gouging.

Interestingly, this controversy has added even more attention to the tournament, with analysts noting that demand for 2026 World Cup tickets is already at record levels due to the event being hosted across three countries — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — for the first time in history.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026.