Following New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s announcement of a select number of $50 FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets being made available, New York Governor Kathy Hochul is unveiling plans for her own initiative aimed at helping working-class families gain access to the much-anticipated event.
500 free World Cup tickets reserved for New Yorkers
Wednesday (June 10), Hochul’s office announced a free World Cup ticket away for MetLife Stadium games. As exclusively shared with Complex in advance of the initiative’s wider announcement, a total of 500 free tickets have been reserved for working-class families with children, first responders, and military families.
Free World Cup tickets for New Yorkers will include round-trip shuttle bus transportation
The tickets, made possible thanks to the YMCA and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, come with free round-trip shuttle bus tickets to MetLife Stadium. Sponsoring the tickets are Uber and the NYNJ FIFA World Cup Host Committee.
“The World Cup is one of the biggest events on the planet, and it shouldn’t just be for those who can afford the hottest ticket in town,” Hochul said in a statement shared with Complex. “I’m proud to partner with the YMCA and Tunnel to Towers to make sure 500 New Yorkers can be part of this historic moment and experience the magic of the world’s game.”
For those unfamiliar, Tunnel to Towers is a foundation established in honor of New York firefighter Stephen Siller, who died while working to save the lives of others on Sept. 11, 2001. Per Frank Siller, the foundation’s chairman and CEO (and Stephen’s brother), Hochul’s free tickets initiative points to the World Cup’s inherent power to inspire a sense of unity among New Yorkers, and beyond.
“Thanks to Governor Hochul, America’s heroes—our first responders, military service members, and their families—will have the opportunity to experience the FIFA World Cup right in their own backyard,” Siller said. “This game has a unique ability to bring New Yorkers together in celebration with fans from around the world. We are grateful to be included.”
Additional information on the 500 free tickets will soon be made available here.
FIFA World Cup 2026 festivities—comprised of a 48-team international tournament—kick off this week across host cities spanning the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. For everything you need to know, see here.
