(SeaPRwire) –   By: Julian Holbrooke
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been vocal against FIFA’s resale market. He negotiated 1,000 World – Cup tickets at $50 each with free transport for working – class New Yorkers. The state also spent $6 million on a free watch – party and fan fests. Yet, his own jersey drop seems to mirror FIFA’s problematic practices.

Mamdani announced 1,500 exclusive World – Cup jerseys in a GQ article. People had to buy them in – person at the CityStore on Friday morning. Less than 24 hours after the announcement, New Yorkers camped outside the store. Before it opened, a long line formed. The $50 jerseys were selling on eBay for up to $1,150, a 2,000% markup.

Mamdani had campaigned against such markups. He launched a “Game Over Greed” petition, demanding FIFA end dynamic pricing, cap resale prices, and reserve 15% of tickets for locals at a discount. He warned that people would be priced out of the World Cup. But on Friday, working people were priced out of the commemorative jerseys due to an uncapped resale market.

The city’s jersey pricing, like FIFA’s ticket pricing, has led to a resale market. FIFA at least gets a cut from resales, while the CityStore gets nothing. The city’s attempt to make jerseys affordable didn’t eliminate scarcity; it just shifted the cost to waiting in line. If the city wants to avoid repeating FIFA’s mistakes, it needs to cap resale prices for future events.
Author bio: Julian Holbrooke, an overseas international relations analyst contributing to major European daily newspapers.