NYC Mayoral Candidate Mamdani Urges FIFA to Cap 2026 World Cup Ticket Prices

The 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket sales began with a Visa cardholder-only presale registration, which runs until September 19, with a lottery system in place for ticket purchasing opportunities. The tournament will host eight matches at MetLife Stadium, including the final on July 19, but ticket prices have sparked controversy due to FIFA's planned use of dynamic pricing, which could see tickets for the final soar as high as $6,730. New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has launched the 'Game Over Greed' campaign, demanding FIFA end its dynamic pricing scheme, cap resale prices, and reserve 15% of tickets at discounted rates for local residents to make the event more accessible. Mamdani criticized FIFA's approach as 'predatory ticketing practices' that risk pricing out working-class New Yorkers, emphasizing that unlike previous World Cups, no tickets are currently set aside for local residents. Despite FIFA's announcement of starting prices at $60, the lack of transparency on how many tickets will be available at this price point has fueled further concerns. The campaign reflects broader tensions between FIFA's commercial strategies and local community access to one of the world's biggest sporting events.