New York’s $50 World Cup jerseys sell out fast and fuel resale complaints

New York City’s limited $50 World Cup jersey release sold out quickly and became a test of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s affordability message, Fortune reported. The city-backed promotion drew intense demand, long waits and resale listings hundreds of dollars above the original price.

According to Fortune, Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, has made affordability central to his political agenda, including proposals such as freezing rent, free buses, city-run grocery stores and a $30 minimum wage by 2030. Fortune reported that he won the New York mayoralty in November 2025 on that message and later supported successful primary challengers to Democratic incumbents.

The jersey rollout

The city released 1,500 New York City-themed World Cup jerseys on June 12, Fortune reported, citing New York Magazine’s Strategist and other outlets. The run included 500 jerseys in each of three colors, produced by Mazzi Sports at its Brooklyn factory.

The shirts were initially sold only at the NYC City Store at One Centre Street beginning at 9 a.m., according to Fortune. Mamdani told GQ the jerseys were intended as an affordable item made locally for New Yorkers.

Demand quickly exceeded supply. Fortune reported that buyers lined up before dawn, with some waiting two to three hours or longer, and the entire run was gone in about an hour after the store opened.

Resale listings followed the sellout. According to Fortune, jerseys appeared on StockX, eBay and Facebook Marketplace within hours, with asking prices running from about $400 into the $900s or higher.

Mamdani’s office later announced another release and shifted sales online, Fortune reported. Starting July 8, the city made 500 jerseys available each weekday through July 16, requiring buyers to create an account through the city store, choose a size and color, and pick up purchases in person because shipping was not offered.

The online process brought its own complaints. Fortune cited Reddit users who said drops disappeared in under a minute, carts cleared during checkout and CAPTCHAs slowed buyers before purchases could be completed. One Reddit commenter calculated that with 500 jerseys split across three colors and eight sizes, availability amounted to about 20 per size, writing that “the odds are extremely stacked against you.”

Broader affordability fight

Fortune reported that the jersey release fits into a larger World Cup affordability push by Mamdani. His administration previously announced 1,000 $50 tickets for New York City residents for selected matches, distributed by lottery, with free round-trip bus service to MetLife Stadium.

According to Fortune, that ticket program capped winners at two tickets and made them nontransferable in an effort to prevent scalping. The jersey release did not avoid resale activity, leaving the city to address scarcity after the first drop.

The episode has become part of a wider argument over price controls and supply. Fortune framed the sellout as an example of what can happen when a low fixed price meets demand that far exceeds available inventory.

Fortune also noted criticism from center-left “abundance” policy thinkers, who argue that affordability problems are often rooted in too little supply rather than prices alone. Applied to the jersey release, that critique focuses on the small production run rather than the $50 price.

The jersey sale is not legislation and remains a limited retail promotion. Still, Fortune reported that the rush, sellout and resale market gave Mamdani’s critics and allies a concrete example to debate as he promotes a broader affordability agenda in New York.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.