As the FIFA World Cup nears, there’s one emotion that’s superseding the anticipation: frustration. Fans throughout the world are speaking out against FIFA’s ticketing model for the tournament, calling it a massive betrayal for fans who will have to shell out thousands of dollars to see even one game. And newly elected mayor of one of the tournament’s host cities, Zohran Mamdani, has joined the chorus of critics.

While on The Cooligans, Mamdani, a huge soccer fan himself, voiced New Yorkers’ grievances regarding the soaring prices of World Cup tickets, thanks to FIFA’s newly implemented dynamic pricing model.

“New York City is the most expensive city in the United States of America,” Mamdani stated. “People are so excited about the World Cup. But when you look at the ticket prices being charged for these games and the fact that FIFA is going to be using dynamic pricing, which means that when you enter into that website to purchase your ticket, by the time you actually get out of it, it might be a different price.”

This has led to astonishing figures for the 2026 tournament: although FIFA advertises a starting point of $60 for group-stage matches, official tickets sold by national associations are significantly more expensive.

“I saw that there was a stadium in the U.S. charging $195 for parking passes. That’s just to park the car. What are we talking about? Am I gonna see Salt Bae in the parking lot!?” asked an incredulous Mamdani.

For example, the cheapest ticket to the final costs $4,185, and tickets for a nation like England’s group games start at around $265. An ardent fan may have to shell out at least $6,900 to see their team reach the final, which is almost five times more than what they would have had to pay at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

As host to eight matches including the final at nearby MetLife Stadium, the New York region is anticipating a significant boost in tourism. But Mamdani warns that the current ticketing model runs the risk of cancelling out that boost.

But more significantly, it keeps locals from participating in a historic event that is happening right in their own neighborhood. An egregious move considering previous iterations of the World Cup had special concessions for local fans.

“I’m heartened to see FIFA has said there will be some fixed prices for fans, but I think there is still a lot more work to be done,” added Mamdani. “We don’t just want this to be a time when people watch it on a screen. Let people get to the games!”

With the tournament still months away, the pressure from a key host-city leader adds a potent new dimension to the mounting campaign for a more accessible World Cup. However, ticket costs aren’t the only source of financial concern for FIFA.

FIFA faces a host of issues months before the World Cup

According to a recent report by The Athletic, hotels across the United States, Canada, and Mexico are reportedly charging hundreds of dollars more each night to accommodate the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Prices have increased by over 300 percent, according to their research, particularly in the 16 host cities surrounding the first matches.

A hotel in Mexico City with a late May rate of $157 per night stands out among the results. But on June 10 and 11, just before the opening match of the World Cup between South Africa and Mexico, the price on the Marriott Bonvoy app skyrockets to an exorbitant $3,882.

The average nightly rate for an opening game jumped to $1,013, according to another survey that examined 96 hotels. This is a significant increase from $293 three weeks prior.

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Among the Mexican host cities, Guadalajara has seen a 405% increase, Monterrey a 466% increase, and Mexico City a 961% increase. Even in the US, the financial burden is substantial.

Fans are facing a new problem in Houston, the city with the largest increase among U.S. cities at 457%, since many hotels are either fully booked or have stringent minimum-stay policies, making it difficult to secure a room. If FIFA doesn’t fix all of these problems, a once-in-a-generation event might be ruined by incompetent planning.