The FIFA World Cup is finally coming to New York City’s backyard — and thanks to a groundbreaking deal between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and FIFA, thousands of New Yorkers now have a shot at attending for just $50. Here’s your complete, up-to-date guide to the NYC World Cup lottery: what it is, who can enter, how it works, and what to do if you win.
What Is the NYC World Cup Lottery?
With standard World Cup tickets fetching anywhere from $220 to over $3,500 on secondary markets, the idea of attending a match has felt out of reach for many working New Yorkers. That changed on May 21, 2026, when Mayor Mamdani announced that the city had secured 1,000 discounted tickets at just $50 each — the cheapest FIFA-distributed seats anywhere in the entire 2026 tournament.
The tickets are being distributed exclusively through a lottery open to current New York City residents. The program is the result of months of negotiations between City Hall, the FIFA World Cup 2026 New York/New Jersey Host Committee, and FIFA itself — with Mayor Mamdani reportedly raising the issue directly with FIFA president Gianni Infantino during a meeting at New York City Hall in March 2026.
“As we prepare to host the World Cup, we know that tickets have soared to thousands of dollars,” Mamdani said at the announcement, held at a bar in Harlem’s Little Senegal neighborhood. “We have supporters desperate to see a World Cup match. We are making sure working people will not be priced out of the game they love.”
Key Dates at a Glance
| Event | Date & Time |
|---|---|
| Lottery Opens | Monday, May 25, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET |
| Lottery Closes | Saturday, May 30, 2026 at midnight ET |
| Winners Notified | Wednesday, June 3, 2026 |
| Purchase Window | 48 hours after notification |
| World Cup Kickoff | June 11, 2026 |
| World Cup Final | July 19, 2026 (not included) |
Who Is Eligible to Enter?
The NYC World Cup lottery is open to current New York City residents who are 15 years of age or older. All five boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island — are included, with tickets distributed evenly across them.
If you win, be prepared to verify your residency. The lottery website notes that winners may be asked to present one of the following:
- A valid New York State ID
- A recent pay stub
- A lease or mortgage agreement
Non-residents and out-of-towners are not eligible. The program is exclusively designed for New Yorkers.
How to Enter the NYC World Cup Lottery
Entering is straightforward, but competition is fierce — on the first day alone, the 50,000-entry daily cap was hit in just three minutes. By the second day (May 26), the limit filled in an astonishing 88 seconds, with roughly 3.6 million people on the site simultaneously at 10 AM.
Here’s how to enter:
Step 1 — Visit the Official Site Go to www.regnyctix.com starting at 10:00 AM ET each day the lottery is open.
Step 2 — Enter Once Per Day Each eligible New Yorker may enter once per day. The lottery runs for six days (May 25–30), so the maximum number of entries one person can submit is six. Daily entries are capped at 50,000, so logging on right at 10 AM ET gives you the best chance of securing your daily slot.
Step 3 — Wait for Results Winners are selected at random and will be notified on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Once notified, winners have 48 hours to purchase up to two tickets each.
Which Matches Are Included?
The 1,000 tickets are split across seven matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with approximately 150 tickets allocated per game. The included matches are:
Group Stage:
- Brazil vs. Morocco — June 13
- France vs. Senegal — June 16
- Norway vs. Senegal — June 22
- Ecuador vs. Germany — June 25
- Panama vs. England — June 27
Knockout Round:
- Round of 32 — June 30
- Round of 16 — July 5
Note that the World Cup Final on July 19 is not included in the lottery program.
What Do You Get with the $50 Ticket?
For $50 — what Mayor Mamdani called “five lattes in New York City” — lottery winners receive:
- A seat in the Upper Bowl at MetLife Stadium
- Free round-trip bus transportation to and from the stadium
- Access to a historic World Cup match featuring some of the world’s best national teams
To prevent ticket scalping and resale, tickets are fully non-transferable and will be distributed directly to winners at the official bus boarding location on the day of each match.
Why This Lottery Is Such a Big Deal
To put the $50 price tag in perspective, standard Category 3 seats for MetLife Stadium matches have been listed between roughly $220 and $415 through official FIFA channels — and prices on secondary markets have soared into the thousands. The NYC lottery program is, by any measure, the most affordable official ticketing arrangement in the entire 2026 World Cup.
Sports accessibility advocates are already calling the program a potential blueprint for future major sporting events, suggesting it could reshape how cities negotiate affordability requirements when bidding to host the Olympics, Super Bowls, and World Cups.
The deal also carries political significance. Mayor Mamdani, who took office in January 2026, campaigned on economic equity for working-class New Yorkers, and the lottery serves as a tangible demonstration of that agenda — one that involved personally engaging FIFA leadership to push through a concession the world’s most powerful soccer body was initially hesitant to grant.
Tips to Improve Your Chances
While the lottery is entirely random, here are a few practical tips to maximize your entries:
- Set an alarm for 10:00 AM ET sharp every day from May 25 to May 30. The daily cap fills in minutes — sometimes in under 90 seconds.
- Enter every single day. With up to six entries allowed, each daily entry gives you another independent shot at winning.
- Use a stable internet connection. Traffic on regnyctix.com is enormous. A wired or strong Wi-Fi connection is more reliable than mobile data during peak entry times.
- Check your inbox on June 3. Winners are notified that day and have only 48 hours to complete their purchase, so don’t miss the email.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I enter if I’m from New Jersey or another state? No. The lottery is exclusively for current New York City residents.
Can I win tickets to multiple matches? Each winner receives tickets to one match. However, if you enter on multiple days, you could theoretically be selected for different games.
What happens if I win but can’t attend? Tickets are non-transferable and issued on the day of the match. If you cannot attend, unfortunately the tickets cannot be passed on to someone else.
Is there any cost to enter the lottery? No. Entering the lottery is completely free. The $50 cost only applies if you win and choose to purchase tickets.
What if the website crashes or I can’t get in? Try again the following morning at 10:00 AM ET. The lottery runs for six days, giving multiple opportunities to enter.
The Bigger Picture: World Cup 2026 in NYC
The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 11, 2026, and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford — just across the Hudson from Manhattan — will host some of the tournament’s biggest matches, including the final on July 19. The New York/New Jersey region is considered the crown jewel venue of the entire competition, with the stadium temporarily renamed “New York/New Jersey Stadium” for the duration of the event.
For a city as diverse and soccer-passionate as New York — home to enormous communities of Brazilians, Senegalese, French, English, German, and Latin American fans — the World Cup arriving on its doorstep is a once-in-a-generation moment. The NYC lottery program ensures that at least 1,000 seats at those historic matches will belong to everyday New Yorkers, not just those who can afford four-figure ticket prices.
Drop a comment below if you entered the NYC World Cup lottery — and bookmark this page for the latest updates as winner notifications go out on June 3!