Missed your chance to snag one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s affordable World Cup jerseys? You might now have to pay resellers a very unaffordable price.
The New York City-themed jerseys popped up on sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace hours after they went on sale, going for at least $400. Some sellers are asking as much as $999. That’s a considerable upcharge from the $50 that residents paid for the same jerseys on Friday.
Mamdani unveiled the apparel earlier this week. In an Instagram post, he said they were “made by New Yorkers, for New Yorkers.” Only 1,500 jerseys were available for purchase, making them a hot ticket item among his supporters and ardent soccer fans. People stood in line for hours outside the City of New York’s official store to get their hands on one.
By comparison, official FIFA jerseys are noticeably pricier. The most expensive team gear costs $375, while the cheapest alternative costs $70.
Mamdani’s administration has broadly pushed for affordability initiatives. In May, the mayor outlined a plan to expand affordable housing. A month earlier, he and New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a new pied-à-terre tax targeting wealthy people who own a secondary property in the city but live elsewhere.
Mamdani has also sought to make events affordable for New Yorkers.
Last September, he launched a petition urging FIFA to ditch its dynamic pricing model and lower ticket prices for New Yorkers. He also criticized the decision to allow ticket reselling on FIFA’s official platform without a price cap.
Dynamic pricing — when businesses adjust ticket prices in real time based on factors such as demand and market conditions — has become a point of contention for ticket buyers expecting a fixed price. The resale market can also be volatile because vendors often upcharge tickets by hundreds of dollars.
Following negotiations with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Mamdani secured 1,000 World Cup tickets for New Yorkers at $50 each in May.
“Last year we said we’d fight for cheaper tickets for New Yorkers, and today I’m proud to announce, just like Arsenal, we got it done,” Mamdani, a lifelong fan of the London soccer club, said in a video posted to X in May.
New York City and New Jersey are among the host cities for this year’s tournament. The first local match, held at MetLife Stadium, takes place on Saturday evening between Brazil and Morocco.
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