Democratic mayoral nominee Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (A.D. 36) was back in The Bronx in St. James Park on Sept. 10 to “sound the alarm” ahead of the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by New York City, but which Mamdani says the “vast majority of New Yorkers won’t be able to see” due to dynamic pricing of ticket sales.

 

Saying the event will be an incredible opportunity for economic growth and community spirit if working class New Yorkers can actually attend the matches, he called on FIFA (La Fédération Internationale de Football Association) to reverse the dynamic ticket sale process, which is being implemented for the first time this year. “They can raise prices, in real time, depending on how much profit they think they can make off of us,” he said.

 

“Those tickets can then be resold on an official FIFA platform with NO price cap, yet another method of gatekeeping the game, and to make matters worse, unlike for the past three World Cups, there are no seats set aside for residents,” he added. Mamdani is calling on soccer fans to sign the following petition to halt the ticket process ahead of the tournament: https://www.zohranfornyc.com/gameovergreed.

 

“People across this country, across the world are fed up with a model of ticket pricing that views fans as a commodity that can be priced higher and higher and higher,” he said. The assemblyman came back to The Bronx again on Sept. 13 for a dialogue with interdenominational faith leaders.