Mayor Mamdani Releases Limited-Edition NYC World Cup Jerseys for $50

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched a collection of 1,500 limited-edition World Cup jerseys priced at $50 each, manufactured by Brooklyn apparel company Mazzi Sports and sold exclusively at City Hall's CityStore. The release created substantial demand, with customers camping overnight and only large sizes available by afternoon, while secondary market listings reached nearly $1,000.

The Merchandise Drop and Public Response

The jersey sale occurred on Friday morning as the FIFA World Cup began across North America. Customers lined the sidewalk outside City Hall's One Centre Street location before the 9 a.m. opening, with Chris Pichardo, age 26, arriving at 1 a.m. to secure a position at the front of the queue. City officials reported that Friday morning represented the busiest CityStore opening they had ever experienced. The initial allocation of 1,500 jerseys—500 of each colorway—was produced entirely by hand at Mazzi Sports' Bedford-Stuyvesant factory.

Each jersey featured locally designed graphics created by Arsh Raziuddin, displaying a reimagined Big Apple logo alongside a pigeon and the text "NEW YORK CITY" across the chest, with the number 26 on the back. Three color combinations were offered: black and white, yellow and black, and blue and red. The designs drew inspiration from the city's broader World Cup marketing campaign. Sales were limited to two jerseys per customer to ensure wider availability, though by early afternoon only larger sizes remained in stock.

Pricing Strategy and Manufacturing Partnership

At approximately one-third the cost of official World Cup kits from major sportswear manufacturers, the $50 price point represented a deliberate effort to make merchandise accessible across income levels. Mamdani stated that the initiative aimed to prevent price barriers from limiting residents' ability to express civic pride. Mazzi Sports, a family-owned operation founded in the 1970s in Colombia before relocating to New York in 1983, has operated production facilities across multiple boroughs over its history. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company shifted to manufacturing medical gowns, producing approximately 20,000 weekly and maintaining employment for over 100 workers—many of whom contributed to the jersey project.

Broader World Cup Initiatives

The jersey release formed part of a larger municipal strategy to build momentum around the World Cup as New Jersey's MetLife Stadium prepared to host eight matches, including the tournament's final. Mamdani's office had previously organized free ticket giveaways, scheduled public watch parties, and extended soccer field playing hours across the city. The merchandise initiative came during a period of heightened sports enthusiasm in New York, coinciding with the Knicks' NBA Finals appearance.