Zohran Mamdani is aiming to rally support from New York football fans.
The mayoral candidate from the Democratic Socialist party urged FIFA to rethink its plans for dynamic pricing in the upcoming summer World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.
His initiative, titled “Game over Greed,” quickly gained traction, accompanied by a stylized video featuring candidates that circulated on social media. The Athletic was among the first to report on Mamdani’s petition.
Mamdani, who is 33, articulated a desire for FIFA to adopt a different pricing strategy—one that would not only take fan demand into account but would also cap resale prices. He proposed that 15% of the tickets should be sold at a discounted rate specifically for local residents.
“The World Cup is right around the corner, and as someone who’s been a football fan for life, I can’t wait,” Mamdani mentioned in the video. “But are working-class New Yorkers going to be able to attend any of the games? With pre-sales starting tomorrow and FIFA implementing dynamic pricing, it’s getting complicated.”
He added, “Tickets can be resold on FIFA’s official platform without any caps, which means you could pay $60 and then turn around and sell that ticket for $6,000.”
Mamdani criticized FIFA for not reserving tickets for locals, urging supporters to sign his petition on his campaign site.
As of now, neither FIFA nor representatives from the New York/New Jersey Host Committee have provided a response to his remarks.
Earlier this month, FIFA confirmed that dynamic pricing would be in play for the 2026 World Cup, with tickets starting at $60 during the group stage and escalating to as much as $6,730 for premium finals tickets.
This pricing model has raised eyebrows among fans globally, including an organization called Football Supporters Europe, which sent a letter to FIFA’s General Secretary stating their “serious concerns” regarding the dynamic pricing approach.
MetLife Stadium is set to host eight World Cup matches in 2026, comprising five group stage games, a match in the round of 32, a match in the round of 16, and the finals.
FIFA is anticipated to secure over $3 billion in ticket revenue from the tournament, according to the Athletic.
It’s unclear whether Mamdani has directly communicated his concerns to FIFA or the NY/NJ Host Committee.
This announcement follows a poll from New Siena Study/NY Times indicating that Mamdani is a frontrunner in the upcoming November election, potentially receiving 46% of the votes if the race remains four-way.
