The third and most recent ticket-sales phase for the 2026 World Cup has triggered a wave of criticism directed at FIFA, largely due to the steep prices unveiled after the release of the tournament schedule, host cities and group assignments.

With top-category seats for the final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium reaching $9,000, FIFA is under fire for what fans have described as unprecedented inflation compared to the previous World Cup, where final-match tickets were in some cases five times cheaper.

Amid the backlash — and echoing earlier comments — New York’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani reiterated that prices must be “fair” for New York residents, especially as the region prepares to host the tournament’s championship match.

Speaking on the Cooligans YouTube channel, the mayor-elect called on FIFA to curb dynamic pricing and introduce fixed prices and local-resident discounts, measures used at previous World Cups, including Qatar 2022 and Russia 2018.

“New York is the most expensive city in the country and people are excited about the World Cup. But when you look at ticket prices and the fact that FIFA will use dynamic pricing, that’s why we’re asking for fixed prices and discounts for local residents — just like we’ve seen at past World Cups,” Mamdani said.

Mamdani’s World Cup goal for New York

The mayor-elect underscored that his top priority during the tournament is ensuring that as many New Yorkers as possible can attend matches rather than being priced out and forced to watch from home.

“We’ve asked that a share of tickets be reserved for fans. I’m glad FIFA has said there will be some fixed pricing, but there’s still a lot of work to do. We don’t want this to be something people only see on a screen — we want them in the stadium,” he added.

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