May 21 (UPI) — New York will hold a lottery to give fans the opportunity to purchase $50 tickets to the 2026 World Cup, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday.
One-thousand tickets at that price will be available for New York City residents.
The program includes 150 tickets for each of the five group stage matches and two knockout round matches held at MetLife Stadium, which will be rebranded as NYNJ Stadium for the tournament, in East Rutherford, N.J. Those who purchase tickets also will receive free roundtrip bus rides.
“A World Cup is coming to our back yard, and we want to ensure working-class New Yorkers have the opportunity to be part of it,” Mamdani said.
“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.”
Entrants for the lottery, who must be at least 15 years old, can apply oncer per day, starting Monday, at regnyctix.com. The lottery will have a daily cap of 50,000 entries. Winners, who will be selected at random and notified June 3, can purchase two tickets apiece.
The purchased tickets are nontransferable, preventing resale.
Mamdani made Thursday’s announcement in Little Senegal in central Harlem.
Brazil will take on Morocco in the first match at East Rutherford at 6 p.m. EDT June 13. France-Senegal, Norway-Senegal, Ecuador-Germany and Panama-England are the other group stage matches that will be played at the stadium.
NYNJ Stadium will host a June 30 Round of 32 clash and a July 5 Round of 16 matchup. The 2026 World Cup final also will be held July 19 in East Rutherford.
The first match of the World Cup will feature Mexico and South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City.
About the Author
