Zohran Mamdani has a new goal as he runs for NYC mayor: cheaper World Cup tickets

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic nomination on a platform of making the city more affordable, is now calling on soccer’s global governing body to make it cheaper for New Yorkers to attend the World Cup.

In a petition released Wednesday, Mamdani demanded FIFA reverse its plan to set ticket prices for next year’s tournament based on demand, likening the practice to “price gouging.”

The Democratic socialist, who dubbed his campaign “Game Over Greed,” also called for 15% of tickets to be set aside at discounted prices for residents.

“As a lifelong football — sorry, I mean soccer fan, I couldn’t be more excited,” Mamdani said in an accompanying social media video, affecting a faux-British accent as he juggled a soccer ball in his dress shoes. “But are any working-class New Yorkers actually going to be able to watch any of the matches?”

The tournament will be played across 16 cities in North America. Eight matches, including the final, will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a short train ride away from New York City.

“So many of our neighbors will not be able to afford to be there,” Mamdani added, accusing FIFA of “pricing working people out of the game that they love.”

A spokesperson for FIFA did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

In recent days, FIFA’s plan to adopt a “variable pricing” model for ticket sales — similar to the one used by airlines or hotels — has sparked controversy among some fans.

Tickets will start at $60 for group-stage matches and increase to $6,730 for the final, officials said last week, but could fluctuate under the demand-based pricing model. Mamdani also called on the governing body to implement a cap on resale ticket prices — something it has agreed to do in Mexico, but not in the United States or Canada, he said.

Mamdani, who surged to victory in the primary based on promises such as freezing rent for New Yorkers and making buses free, situated the World Cup fight as part of his larger battle against rising costs for working people.

“Pope John Paul II said, ‘Of all the unimportant things, football is the most important,’” he said at a press conference Wednesday. “This is part and parcel of a larger affordability crisis in this city. Once again, it will be working people who will be left behind.”