U.S. men’s national team winger Tim Weah appeared at an event with New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, where the city announced access to 1,000 tickets to matches at the upcoming World Cup finals priced at $50, which will be distributed by ballot to residents.
“I think this opportunity is really healthy for the community and for New York in its whole,” Weah said on Thursday. “I think as athletes it’s important to have a voice, because we are the pillars of this community. We are the leaders of the next generation. As a kid, it was always a dream to be up here and to be in stadiums playing, and if I can help the next kid get to that stage, I think it’s a wonderful feeling.
“The mayor has done a wonderful job making these tickets accessible to New Yorkers. My job is to bring joy, to put smiles on faces, so I’m going to do exactly that while standing by his side and making sure that we can make it easier on anyone.”
U.S. center back Mark McKenzie was also in attendance with Weah.
Weah’s appearance doubled down on comments he made earlier this year that “football should still be enjoyed by everyone” and that he was “disappointed by the ticket prices.”
“Lots of real fans will miss matches,” Weah told French outlet Le Dauphiné.
Those comments earned a rare and polarizing admonishment from U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino.
“First of all, I think players need to talk on the pitch, playing football, not outside of the (pitch),” Pochettino told reporters on a Zoom news conference in January. “It is not his duty to evaluate the price of the ticket. And then also my duty is to prepare the team, the U.S. men’s national team, in the best way to perform. We are not politicians. We are sport people that only we can talk about our job. And I think if FIFA does something or takes some decision, they know why, and it is their responsibility to explain why. But it’s not up to us to provide our opinion.
Tim Weah spoke out about World Cup ticket prices. (Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
“Our responsibility is to perform, play and perform on the pitch. And then the people that (are) in charge of the federation, maybe he can give his opinion, but I am the head coach of the federation. And I think we have the organization that is over us, that is FIFA, that is doing an amazing job around the world uniting people, because I think FIFA unites people. I think for sure the media need to ask directly to FIFA, and for sure you are going to receive a very good answer. But no, it is not up to us to judge this type of thing. We need to be focused on the sports side, and trust in the organization that is in charge of soccer or football around the world, that they are going to do the right things.”
Pochettino has also been on the podcast circuit himself this spring, appearing on multiple shows in which he’s been asked his opinions on topics away from the field, including immigration actions in the U.S. and interactions with U.S. President Donald Trump.
It’s a reality of coaching the American team.
Avoiding politics and questions about things outside of the games and stadiums will be an impossible task for the U.S. during a World Cup played mostly in the U.S. That is par for the course when representing the U.S. In 2022, captain Tyler Adams provided calm, measured answers when asked about race relations in the U.S. during a heated news conference ahead of a must-win game against Iran. Then-U.S. captain Michael Bradley spoke about how Trump’s election win in 2016 gave an “added layer” to the U.S.-Mexico rivalry, and later spoke out against Trump’s travel ban against seven Muslim countries in 2017.
Weah did not shy away from the platform and stage that comes with playing for the U.S., offering another endorsement of lower ticket prices on Thursday in his hometown of New York City.
“What you can see and feel in so many New Yorkers are the memories we have from World Cups in our youth,” Mamdani said Thursday. “We heard it from one of the stars of our national team, that this is an opportunity to bring the next generation into the game.”