You don’t have to be a millionaire to attend the World Cup. Some New Jersey residents will have a chance to attend games at MetLife Stadium for free thanks to a new initiative.
The New York New Jersey host committee has secured 770 tickets at no cost to New Jerseyans, made possible through donations from Uber and Hackensack Meridian Health in partnership with Governor Mikie Sherrill. The tickets will be distributed across seven games at MetLife Stadium—every match at the venue except the final.
Here’s how the tickets are being allocated:
500 tickets will go to youth soccer clubs and families of New Jersey National Guard members currently deployed overseas. Hackensack Meridian Health patients in the Make-A-Wish program and Bergen County first responders assisting with World Cup operations are also eligible.
200 tickets will be distributed through Hackensack Meridian Health—the official hometown hospital partner of the host committee—to front-line nurses, healthcare workers, pediatric patients, and children facing serious illness, along with their families.
The remaining 70 tickets will be available through the host committee’s “Welcome World Rewards” program, which rewards fans for supporting local small businesses during the tournament. Eligibility is earned by visiting participating establishments and attending local watch parties and community events.
To prevent resale and scalping, all 770 of the free tickets will be non-transferable.
“We are excited to welcome the world to the Garden State for the World Cup starting this week,” Governor Sherrill said in a statement reported by The Athletic. “We want the experience, first and foremost, to be accessible and affordable for as many New Jerseyans as possible.”
The move comes after New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani secured 1,000 tickets at $50 each for New York residents last month. New Yorkers who get their hands on discounted tickets will spend more getting to the stadium than getting into it.
Now, New Jerseyans have a chance to attend the games without breaking the bank too. After all, MetLife Stadium is in the Garden State—it’s only fair.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.