NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani hits out at World Cup ticket pricing

Tickets for next summer’s FIFA World Cup have only recently went on sale but already there are real question marks over how the process is being handled.

The cheapest of the seats began at $60, while the most expensive tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium were set at $6,730. However those figures were just the starting price, with ‘variable pricing’ models introduced to adjust the prices as demand increased.

Needless to say, after the first round of ticket draws the prices have started to surge with ticket resellers buying up blocks of tickets at lower prices, allowing them to sell for a profit once the fixtures have been confirmed later in the year.

FIFA’s use of dynamic pricing has been widely criticized, with NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani among those who have had their say on the matter.

Mamdani told The Athletic: “These kinds of policies from FIFA are ones that threaten to price out the very people that make this game so special. In our fight for making the most expensive city in America affordable, it’s a fight that is not limited just to housing, childcare and public transit. It also extends to the moments that give New Yorkers such joy, which will be the World Cup next year.”

He continued: “I’ve spoken to a number of New Yorkers who tried to buy tickets, and it wasn’t only an issue of just how unaffordable the tickets were, but also just the mess of that system. There’s a desperate need for more clarity and for more of a commitment that this be a tournament for people who already call the city home.”

So far, however, there has been no indication that FIFA are likely to make any significant changes. Heimo Schirgi, FIFA’s World Cup 2026 chief operating officer, advised supporters to buy their tickets as soon as possible, to avoid getting stung by the price increases.

“I think the message is ‘Get your tickets early,’ especially if you know where you will be because you live in that city or you’re a fan of the three hosting nations, and then you know already when and where they will play,” Schirgi said. “So that’s the message: ‘Get your tickets early,’ because anything could happen.”

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