The New York City mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic nomination with the promise of making the city more affordable, now demands that FIFA reduce ticket prices for the World Cup for the benefit of New Yorkers. In a petition published on Wednesday, the day fans could start requesting tickets through a pre-sale draw, Mamdani asked FIFA to reverse its plan to set prices for next year’s tournament based on demand, comparing the practice to “price gouging”. The democratic socialist, who called his campaign “Game Over Greed”, also demanded that 15% of the tickets be reserved at reduced prices for residents. As a lifelong soccer fan – sorry, I meant football – I couldn’t be more excited. But, will any working-class New Yorker be able to watch any of the games? The tournament will be played in 16 cities across North America. Eight matches, including the final, will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a short train ride from New York City. Mamdani accused FIFA of “excluding working people from the game they love”. Mamdani’s request comes amid the controversy generated by FIFA’s plan to adopt a “variable pricing” model for ticket sales, similar to that used by airlines or hotels. Tickets will start at $60 for group stage matches and increase to $6,730 for the final, officials said last week, but could fluctuate depending on the demand-based pricing model. Mamdani also asked the governing body to cap ticket resale prices, something it agreed to do in Mexico, but not in the United States or Canada, he said. There were online comments on Wednesday from fans reporting difficulties in requesting participation in the presale lottery being held between September 10 and 19. Requests during the 10-day period are not processed on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning that someone who signs up at the last minute on September 19th has the same chance of success of receiving a schedule as someone who signs up when the window first opened on Wednesday. Success in obtaining a schedule for the presale that begins on October 1st will give fans access to individual tickets, as well as specific tickets for teams and stadiums. Mamdani, who won a resounding victory in the primaries based on promises such as freezing rents for New Yorkers and free buses, positioned the fight for the World Cup as part of his broader battle against rising costs for workers.
Pope John Paul II said: “Of all the unimportant things, football is the most important.” This is an integral part of a larger affordability crisis in this city. Once again, it will be the workers who will be left behind.
Zohran Mamdani
