NYC Secures 1,000 World Cup Tickets at $50 Each — Here's How to Enter the Lottery

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Wednesday that New York City has secured 1,000 World Cup tickets at $50 per seat — the cheapest available anywhere in the tournament. The program, negotiated with FIFA and the NYNJ Host Committee, covers seven matches at MetLife Stadium and includes free round-trip bus transportation for every winner. Lottery entries open Monday, May 25 at regnyctix.com.

How the Lottery Works

The lottery portal opens at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 25 at regnyctix.com and closes at midnight on Saturday, May 30. New York City residents aged 15 and over are eligible, and eligibility will be verified — entrants outside the five boroughs are not eligible.

Participants may enter once per day, with a daily cap of 50,000 total entries. Winners are selected randomly and notified by email on Wednesday, June 3. Each winner may purchase up to two tickets — designed so a parent can bring a child. The program includes an anti-scalping mechanism: tickets are nontransferable and distributed in person at the official bus boarding location on match day, when winners receive both their ticket and their free round-trip ride to MetLife. There is no way to resell or profit from these seats.

What Tickets Are Included

The 1,000 seats are divided across seven MetLife Stadium matches: five group stage fixtures and two knockout round games (Round of 32 and Round of 16). Each match receives approximately 150 tickets. The program does not cover the July 19 World Cup Final.

The seats are in the upper tier — FIFA Category 3, the most affordable classification. For context: equivalent Category 3 seats for high-demand group stage matches have been listed at $255–$355 on the official primary market. On the secondary resale market, the cheapest seats start well above $500. These lottery tickets represent a discount of 75 to 85 percent off comparable primary-market prices.

Why This Matters

The deal is the product of months of direct negotiation between the Mamdani administration and both FIFA and the NYNJ Host Committee. Mayor Mamdani first raised affordability concerns with FIFA President Gianni Infantino during a meeting at City Hall in March. The announcement was made Wednesday at a press conference in Little Senegal on West 116th Street in Harlem — a deliberate choice, given that Senegal has two group stage matches at MetLife Stadium and domestic supporters face significant travel restriction barriers.

Mamdani framed the initiative directly: "As we prepare to host the World Cup, we know that tickets have soared to thousands of dollars. We are making sure working people will not be priced out of the game they love." Alex Lasry, CEO of the NYNJ Host Committee, and U.S. Men's National Team player Tim Weah also appeared at the announcement.

Putting the Price in Context

The cheapest ticket listed on FIFA's official resale marketplace across all group stage matches is $553, according to ticket analytics firm TicketData. The cheapest seat for the July 19 Final is currently listed at $7,734. Round-trip NJ Transit rail from Penn Station to MetLife has been set at $98. The official Manhattan shuttle bus program — operated from Midtown pickup points — charges $20 round-trip.

A New York City resident who wins two tickets through this program pays $100 total, with no additional cost to reach the stadium.

If You Don't Win

With 150 tickets per match and potentially tens of thousands of daily entrants, competition will be significant. Fans who miss out should monitor FIFA's official ticketing channels and the Last-Minute Sales phase as match dates approach. The full World Cup experience in New York extends well beyond the stadium — all five boroughs host official FIFA Fan Zones with free admission, and neighborhood watch parties across the city will be extensive. See our free NYC viewing guide and borough fan zone guide for every option.