{"id":40639,"date":"2026-06-09T16:24:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T16:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/?p=40639"},"modified":"2026-06-09T16:24:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T16:24:33","slug":"mayor-mamdani-governor-hochul-fifa-and-nynj-host-committee-announce-free-watch-party-in-central-park-for-fifa-world-cup-2026-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/archives\/40639","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Mamdani, Governor Hochul, FIFA and NYNJ host committee announce free watch party in Central park for FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 final"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEWYORK: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Governor Kathy Hochul, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, NYNJ Host Committee CEO Alex Lasry, Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans, and Central Park Conservancy President and CEO Betsy Smith today announced a free watch party in Central Park for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final on Sunday, July 19.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tickets for the event \u2014 which will be one of the largest free FIFA World Cup 2026 watch parties in the world \u2014 will be distributed by Global Citizen through a lottery system.<\/p>\n

Doors for the watch party will open at noon ET and the Final match will begin at 3 p.m. ET. In addition to tickets available to the general public, 20 percent of tickets will be reserved for local nonprofit organizations and NYC Service volunteers.<\/p>\n

The watch party will provide 50,000 people with a free place to gather and watch the World Cup Final. iHeartRadio will serve as the official media partner, with on-air personalities Charlamagne tha God and Elvis Duran emceeing the Watch Party. The event will also feature live entertainment and local food vendors.<\/p>\n

Mayor Mamdani, Governor Hochul and FIFA President Infantino also joined community partners to cut the ribbon on \u201cFIFA Arena,\u201d a temporary mini-soccer pitch in Central Park.<\/p>\n

The pitch will remain open throughout the tournament and offer free clinics, tournaments and open-play opportunities for New Yorkers of all ages.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to be part of the World Cup. Under our administration, you don\u2019t have to,\u201d said\u00a0Mayor Mamdani.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a free watch party for 50,000 New Yorkers on the Great Lawn to fan festivals in every borough and investments that help small businesses share in the benefits of this tournament, we\u2019re making sure the World Cup belongs to the people who make this city what it is. This is a once-in-a-generation event, and working-class New Yorkers deserve to experience it, celebrate it, and benefit from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that New Yorkers of all ages deserve to enjoy and tune in to,\u201d said\u00a0Governor Hochul.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the next month-and-a-half, New Yorkers will experience the thrill of watching the World Cup in their hometown. If New Yorkers aren\u2019t able to attend the World Cup, we\u2019re bringing it to them, and for the Final game, New Yorkers will get to experience watching at the biggest watch party in the world in one of the greatest parks in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe FIFA World Cup Final will be one of the most watched sporting events in the world, and we’re thrilled that 50,000 people will be able to experience it together in the heart of New York City, free of charge,\u201d said\u00a0FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 NYNJ Host Committee CEO Alex Lasry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis watch party creates an opportunity for residents and visitors to be part of a truly historic moment, regardless of whether they have a ticket to the match itself. Combined with the opening of FIFA Arena, we’re creating free, accessible ways for people to come together, celebrate the game, and be part of the excitement of the tournament throughout the summer. We are grateful to Governor Hochul, Mayor Mamdani, Global Citizen, FIFA, and all of our partners for helping make this experience possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Backed by a $6 million investment from Empire State Development and a $3.5 million allocation from New York City, the World Cup Final watch party will feature three multi-jumbo LED screens and food and beverage options. Global Citizen will administer ticketing and produce the event. Installed by FIFA and operated by Street Soccer USA, FIFA Arena will be open from June 10 through July 18, providing a free place to play throughout the tournament. Programming will include youth clinics, community tournaments and open-play sessions.<\/p>\n

The announcement builds on the Mamdani administration\u2019s ongoing efforts to ensure every New Yorker can participate in the World Cup, regardless of income or ZIP code.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver nearly half a century, the Central Park Conservancy has invested close to $2 billion in the restoration and care of the Park, making it one of the City’s most successful public-private partnerships,\u201d said\u00a0Betsy Smith, Central Park Conservancy President and CEO.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe results are the beautiful and welcoming landscapes where this summer kids will kick a soccer ball, fans will eagerly watch the Finals, and millions more people will enjoy the glory of our 843 acres. We thank Mayor Mamdani, Governor Hochul, and FIFA for their collaboration on these wonderful programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Street Soccer USA we work every day to strengthen communities through soccer from the bottom up,\u201d said\u00a0Street Soccer USA Founder and CEO Lawrence Cann.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are proud to work with the City and State of New York and FIFA to make this Central Park field an inclusive and inspirational one that ensures everyone can participate in building the legacy of the 2026 World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the past 14 years, Global Citizen has proudly called Central Park\u2019s Great Lawn home. We are thrilled to present the biggest watch party for the biggest match in the world, welcoming 50,000 fans for a free experience in the heart of New York City,\u201d said\u00a0Global Citizen Co-Founder and CEO Hugh Evans.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs producers of the first-ever FIFA World Cup\u2122 Final Halftime Show, we are honored to help create a day that brings together sport, music, and community while extending the impact of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and its mission to expand access to quality education and sport for children around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEWYORK: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Governor Kathy Hochul, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, NYNJ Host Committee CEO Alex Lasry, Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans, and Central Park Conservancy President and CEO Betsy Smith today announced a free watch party in Central Park for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final on Sunday, July 19. Tickets for the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":40640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1469,31,1378],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-york","category-news","category-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40639"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40641,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40639\/revisions\/40641"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}