Mayor Mamdani: The World Cup Belongs to New Yorkers

 

Affordable tickets, massive watch parties, free fan festivals and more 

  

Programs to uplift small businesses, cultural organizations and immigrant enclaves 

  

Transit improvements, public space upgrades and a plan to keep New York moving safely

With the first NYNJ World Cup match set to kick off Saturday, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today highlighted his administration's efforts to make the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ accessible to every New Yorker — delivering affordable tickets, free programming across all five boroughs, protections for workers and immigrants, and a comprehensive plan to keep the city safe and moving throughout the tournament.  

  

“The World Cup belongs to New Yorkers,” said Mayor Mamdani. “There is no better place on earth to host the world’s game than a city where every nation is already represented, where every language is spoken and every cuisine is eaten. We worked hard to make sure this tournament isn’t reserved for those who can pay for prime stadium seats. From affordable tickets and free events in every borough to protections for workers and immigrants, we have made this World Cup worthy of the people who make New York the greatest city in the world.”  

  

A World Cup New Yorkers Can Afford  

  

Mayor Mamdani has been clear that every New Yorker should be able to experience and enjoy the World Cup. To make that possible, the Mamdani administration has:  

  

•   Secured 1,000 affordable tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ for New Yorkers at $50 per seat, including free round-trip bus transportation to MetLife Stadium.  

•   Rolled out a free, citywide slate of Official NYNJ Fan Events across all five boroughs, bringing live match viewings, cultural programming, local businesses and interactive experiences directly to New Yorkers at no cost.  

•   Announced a free watch party in Central Park for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final. More than 50,000 people are expected to attend.  

•   Launched “Soccer Streets” to transform 50 streets across all five boroughs into daylong soccer pitches, block parties and community celebrations.  

•   Extended field lighting for an extra hour at more than 50 locations this summer, adding 4,000 hours of play on soccer fields, basketball courts and athletic fields.  

•   Opened “FIFA Arena,” a temporary mini-soccer pitch in Central Park offering free clinics, tournaments and open-play opportunities throughout the tournament.  

•   Debuted a new episode of “NYC Field Guide” focused specifically on soccer, highlighting soccer bars, neighborhood parks and perspectives from New York City FC, Gotham FC and others. 

•   Released a World Cup promotional video featuring U.S. Men's National Team star Tim Weah and Bronx-born Palestinian soccer pioneer Morad Fareed – who helped lead Palestine's historic first-ever World Cup qualifying campaign – celebrating New York City's place at the center of the 2026 tournament.  

•   Created a free events calendar and map to help residents and visitors find free and low-cost events throughout the city, available at nyctourism.com/worldcup26.  

  

Supporting Small Businesses and Protecting Workers and Immigrants  

  

With more than one million visitors expected in the New York-New Jersey region during the tournament, Mayor Mamdani launched new initiatives to drive foot traffic to small businesses, community organizations, restaurants and cultural institutions while ensuring  workers and immigrants are  protected, informed and able to fully participate in the festivities.  

  

The administration has:  

  

•   Launched the “NYC Neighborhood Passport,” in partnership with Team Wonder and the New York Community Trust, encouraging visitors and residents to explore immigrant communities, cultural institutions, small businesses and community events throughout the tournament.  

•   Announced hundreds of restaurants across the city will offer $26 drink and meal specials through the “Five Borough Winners Special” program, offering people reliably priced dining options throughout the tournament.  

•   Created the World Cup Business Toolkit and other guidance materials, reaching more than 56,000 New Yorkers through webinars and SBS outreach efforts, with a focus on immigrant business corridors including Jackson Heights, Little Haiti, Koreatown and the South Bronx.  

•   Promoted and protected the city's iconic yellow taxis by cracking down on illegal trips, establishing branded taxi lines at key locations for World Cup travelers and ensuring taxis are featured prominently in transportation messaging.  

•   Promoted the NYNJ Host Committee's “Welcome World Rewards” program, helping drive customers to participating small businesses throughout the tournament.  

•   Launched a sweeping “Know Your Rights” blitz to protect workers and immigrants . The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) distributed a new bilingual "Referee Kit" — modeled on soccer's yellow and red card system and available in more than 10 languages — connecting immigrants with legal services, labor protections and domestic and gender-based violence resources while providing information on constitutional rights during interactions with federal immigration authorities.
•   Directed the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to notify more than 77,000 licensed businesses of their obligations under workplace protection laws, launch targeted inspections and conduct weekly “Worker Rights Day of Action” series to educate 20,000 New Yorkers on their rights.  

  

Keeping New York City Safe and Mobile  

  

The Mamdani administration has coordinated with City agencies, state partners and regional stakeholders to prepare for an influx of visitors, while ensuring New Yorkers can continue moving safely and reliably throughout the tournament.  

  

The Mamdani administration has:  

 

•   Announced a Midtown transportation plan for each of the eight local match days, including dedicated corridors for buses and shuttles, restrictions on nonessential vehicle traffic, coordination with businesses to reduce truck deliveries during peak periods and expanded public transit messaging. Launched the most NYC Ferry service in city history, adding vessels and trips on high-demand routes to keep commuters, recreational riders and visitors moving reliably.  

•   Activated a unified citywide coordination structure, including the City’s Emergency Operations Center, to respond to operational needs and severe weather events.  

•   Convened interagency working groups focused on public safety, health services, transportation, infrastructure, events, human services, community engagement and regional coordination.    

•   Opened a Joint Information Center to provide clear, accurate and multilingual information before, during and after emergencies.    

•   Launched a dedicated Summer 2026 Notify NYC alert system, allowing New Yorkers and visitors to receive real-time updates throughout the tournament by texting SUMMER26 to 692-692, with options in English, Spanish and French.  

•   Established a Special Pathogen Response Team for high-consequence public health incidents.  

•   Prepared 11 NYC Health + Hospitals acute-care facilities to serve as cooling centers during Code Red heat emergencies and expanded outreach during extreme heat events.  

•   Coordinated with FDNY and DSNY to increase emergency preparedness, hazard detection and sanitation operations around transit hubs and major event sites.   

  

Building a Better City Beyond the Tournament  

  

Mayor Mamdani is delivering a series of permanent transportation and public-space improvements designed to improve daily life for New Yorkers long after the final whistle.  

 

The administration has:  

•   Created a new dedicated, center-running eastbound bus lane on Broadway in Queens to improve travel to LaGuardia Airport.
•   Launched a transformational redesign of parts of Ninth Avenue to expand pedestrian space, improve cycling infrastructure and extend bus-priority lanes.  

•   Announced a suite of bike lane and pedestrian space upgrades from SoHo and the East Village to Union Square, creating continuous north-south bike connections from the Brooklyn Bridge to Astor Place and Union Square.  

•   Established a new dedicated bike connection to the Brooklyn Bridge along Centre Street, creating fully separated bicycle and pedestrian access.
•   Began doubling the width of a popular protected bike lane on Sixth Avenue and expanding pedestrian space to improve safety for all users.