NYC $50 World Cup ticket lottery excludes NJ

New York City said on May 21 that it had secured 1,000 reduced-price tickets to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches for city residents, offering seats at $50 each with free round-trip bus transportation to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The program was announced by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani in partnership with the FIFA World Cup 2026 New York New Jersey Host Committee. City Hall said the tickets are available exclusively to New York City residents, a condition that leaves out New Jersey residents even though the matches will be played at MetLife. ### Who is eligible for the $50 ticket lottery? New York City residents age 15 and older can enter the lottery, according to the mayor’s office. The city said entries open on Monday, May 25, at 10 a.m. and close on Saturday, May 30, at midnight. Winners will be selected at random and notified on Wednesday, June 3. (nyc.gov) The mayor’s office said entrants may submit one entry per day, with a daily cap of 50,000 entries. Winners may buy up to two tickets each. The city said the tickets will be nontransferable and handed directly to winners at the official boarding location on match day. ### What exactly is New York City offering? (nyc.gov) The city said the package includes a $50 seat and free round-trip bus service to MetLife Stadium. The program covers five group-stage matches and two knockout-round matches, with about 150 tickets allocated per game, according to the announcement. (nyc.gov) Mayor Mamdani said in the release that the city wanted “working-class New Yorkers” to have a chance to attend. NYC World Cup Czar Maya Handa said the program was created after the mayor pushed to ensure New Yorkers would be in the stands. ### Why are New Jersey residents excluded if the stadium is in New Jersey? (nyc.gov) MetLife Stadium, called New York New Jersey Stadium during the tournament, is the venue for the region’s eight matches, including the July 19 final, according to FIFA and New York City’s World Cup hosting page. The city’s announcement, however, describes the discounted-ticket program as one for “New Yorkers” and says the seats are available “exclusively for New York City residents.” Neither the city release nor the hosting playbook describes a matching New Jersey resident program. (nyc.gov) New York City’s World Cup hosting page also says the city and the NYNJ Committee are not selling general match tickets and do not control ticket prices. That makes the $50 offer a separate city-backed allocation rather than a change to FIFA’s standard ticketing process. ### How does this fit with FIFA’s regular ticket sales? FIFA said official World Cup tickets are sold through FIFA channels, including FIFA.com/tickets, and warned fans to avoid unofficial sellers. (fifa.com) FIFA has said nearly two million tickets were sold during the first two general-public sales phases. (nyc.gov) The New York-New Jersey region is scheduled to host eight matches beginning June 13, including group-stage games, two knockout matches and the final on July 19, FIFA says. That means the city’s 1,000-ticket program covers only a small slice of the inventory tied to the local venue. ### What happens next? (fifa.com) May 25 is the first key date for applicants, when the entry window opens at regnyctix.com, according to the mayor’s office. June 3 is the next milestone, when winners are scheduled to be notified and allowed to purchase up to two tickets. The first World Cup match in the New York-New Jersey host region is set for June 13 at MetLife Stadium, FIFA says. (nyc.gov) (fifa.com)