With seven World Cup matches down and the Final still to come, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today reflected on a tournament that welcomed more than 1 million visitors to the New York-New Jersey region while proving something larger: the world's biggest sporting event can belong to working people.
"We said from the beginning that the World Cup belongs to New Yorkers. This summer, we proved it," said Mayor Mamdani. "In the most international city on earth, you didn't need thousands of dollars to be part of the world's game. A kid in Corona, a nurse in Bay Ridge and a small business owner in Little Haiti could all celebrate together - for free or at a price they could afford. That's what we mean when we talk about a city for the many. This summer, strangers became neighbors on Open Streets and in free Fan Fests across the city because government made room for people to come together. And long after the confetti is swept away, New Yorkers will keep what we built: safer streets, faster buses, stronger protections, closer neighbors and the memory of a summer when the whole world felt at home here."
A World Cup Every New Yorker Could Afford
The Mamdani administration made affordability the organizing principle of New York City's World Cup celebration, ensuring that New Yorkers didn't need an expensive ticket to be part of the world's biggest sporting event.
- Secured 1,000 affordable World Cup tickets at $50 per seat for New Yorkers, including free round-trip bus transportation to NYNJ Stadium.
- Opened free Official NYNJ Fan Events in all five boroughs, including the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Rockefeller Center, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Bronx Terminal Market and SIUH Community Park.
- Announced a free watch party for tens of thousands of people on Central Park's Great Lawn in partnership with Governor Kathy Hochul, FIFA, the NYNJ Host Committee and Global Citizen.
- Partnered with Governor Hochul to provide affordable shuttle bus service between New York City and NYNJ Stadium throughout the tournament.
- Launched "Soccer Streets," transforming 50 blocks citywide into free soccer pitches, block parties and community celebrations.
- Supported more than 100 free public watch parties in plazas, parks and Open Streets in partnership with City agencies, cultural institutions and community organizations.
- Distributed a free World Cup activity guide designed by Rich Tu, redeemable for free admission to the Whitney Museum through July 31.
- Launched the "Dressing the City" campaign in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and NYC Tourism + Conventions, bringing original World Cup artwork to NYC Ferries, bus shelters, subway stations, LinkNYC kiosks, taxi tops and streets across all five boroughs.
- Streamed marquee matches on 200 LinkNYC kiosks citywide in partnership with Telemundo, bringing free Spanish-language World Cup coverage directly to New Yorkers on city streets.
- Extended field lighting at 50 locations, adding 4,000 hours of evening play and expanded NYC Open Play with free, late-night soccer in every borough.
- Opened FIFA Arena, a free mini-pitch in Central Park operated by Street Soccer USA, featuring youth clinics, community tournaments and open play.
- Hosted Department of Social Services-run watch parties across the shelter system, including events featuring former French national team star Robert Pires.
- Released a World Cup promotional video featuring U.S. Men's National Team star Tim Weah and Bronx-born Palestinian soccer pioneer Morad Fareed and a special soccer edition of "NYC Field Guide," highlighting neighborhood soccer culture.
- Brought World Cup viewing to Rikers Island, hosting roughly 90 watch parties for the tournament's duration and drawing participation from about 4,500 of the jail's 6,600 inmates as a reward for good behavior, with Mayor Mamdani stopping by Wednesday's England-Argentina semifinal viewing.
- Produced neighborhood mini-documentaries through the Department of Cultural Affairs' Public Residence program, highlighting how immigrant and working-class New Yorkers experienced the tournament.
- Published a free online calendar and interactive map connecting residents and visitors to free and low-cost events across the city at nyctourism.com/worldcup26.
Small Businesses Shared in the Win
More than 1 million visitors came to the New York-New Jersey region during the tournament. The Mamdani administration worked to ensure those visitors spent their dollars in neighborhoods across all five boroughs.
- Launched the "Five Borough Winners Special," bringing $26 meal and drink specials and commemorative cups to more than 900 restaurants and bars.
- Promoted the "Welcome World Rewards" program with the NYNJ Host Committee, allowing fans to earn points and prizes - including World Cup Final tickets - by shopping at participating small businesses.
- Developed the World Cup Business Toolkit, reaching more than 56,000 New Yorkers with resources and targeted outreach in commercial corridors, including Jackson Heights, Little Haiti, Koreatown and the South Bronx.
- Sold Mazzi Sports $50 NYC World Cup jerseys exclusively at the CityStore, offering New Yorkers an affordable alternative to official jerseys retailing for $375. After selling out due to overwhelming demand, jerseys were restocked.
Workers and Immigrants Were Protected - Not Left Behind
As New York City welcomed millions of visitors from around the world, the Mamdani administration made clear that immigrants and workers would be protected, not exploited.
- Notified more than 77,000 licensed businesses of their legal obligations to workers through the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) and reached more than 20,000 New Yorkers through weekly "Worker Rights Day of Action" events.
- Launched targeted enforcement efforts, including a new initiative requiring City inspectors to verify that businesses prominently displayed worker rights notices. Those inspections were paired with a citywide public education campaign and multilingual public service announcements on consumer and worker protections.
- Protected the city's iconic yellow taxi industry by cracking down on illegal operators and establishing branded taxi queues at key World Cup venues, making it easier for visitors to choose licensed drivers.
- 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.
The City Stayed Safe and Kept Moving
Hosting the world's largest sporting event required unprecedented coordination across every level of government. Throughout the tournament, the Mamdani administration kept New Yorkers and visitors moving safely while ensuring the city remained open for millions of New Yorkers.
- Coordinated a comprehensive citywide preparedness operation across all eight local match days alongside Governor Hochul, the MTA and regional partners.
- Launched a Midtown transportation plan, featuring dedicated bus and shuttle corridors that reduced congestion and helped move hundreds of thousands of people efficiently on match days. People traveled from bus staging areas to the Lincoln Tunnel in less than a total of 10 minutes, consistently outpacing general traffic on the same corridors. Midtown travel times ran up to 23 percent faster than historical averages across all eight match days, even as more than 1 million visitors came through the region.
- Nearly 50% of stadium attendees across the first three games - rising for later matches - got to and from MetLife Stadium via NJ Transit or official FIFA shuttles rather than driving.
- Transformed the subway into a rolling celebration of the tournament, wrapping trains on the 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, A, E, F and R lines in the colors of competing nations through a partnership with the NYNJ Host Committee and the MTA.
- Delivered the most NYC Ferry service in city history to keep commuters, riders and visitors moving on high-demand routes, including five custom-wrapped vessels celebrating each borough through World Cup-inspired artwork.
- Activated the Emergency Operations Center and Joint Information Center to coordinate operations across agencies and provide clear, accurate and multilingual information throughout the tournament. Notify NYC alerts kept residents and visitors informed in real time, while NYC Health + Hospitals facilities stood ready to support public health needs.
A Legacy That Lasts Beyond the Final Whistle
The Mamdani administration utilized the World Cup as an opportunity to build a better city. Investments made for the tournament will continue serving New Yorkers long after the final match, including:
- A new center-running bus lane on Broadway in Queens, improving transit access to LaGuardia Airport.
- A transformational redesign of Ninth Avenue expanding pedestrian space, strengthening cycling infrastructure and creating new bus-priority lanes.
- Bike and pedestrian upgrades from SoHo and the East Village to Union Square, creating a safer north-south corridor from the Brooklyn Bridge to Astor Place.
- A dedicated bike and pedestrian connection to the Brooklyn Bridge along Centre Street.
- A doubled-width protected bike lane on Sixth Avenue with expanded pedestrian space.
- Permanent equipment upgrades at borough venues, including infrastructure installed for Fan Fest programming, such as the new large screen at SIUH Community Park
- A citywide mural project to celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup, leaving a lasting legacy in New York City's neighborhoods.
