New York City will open free fan zones in all five boroughs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, giving soccer fans access to live match screenings without buying tournament tickets.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul joined the NYNJ 2026 World Cup Host Committee on Monday to announce the full lineup of fan events. Each location will feature live match viewings, interactive experiences, local food, and cultural programming at no charge. Free admission requires online registration through the Host Committee website.
Queens leads the calendar with the Group Stage HQ at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, June 11 through June 27. Brooklyn Bridge Park hosts the borough’s fan zone June 13 through July 19 — the longest run of any location. The Bronx Terminal Market near Yankee Stadium holds a two-day activation on June 13 and 14. Staten Island University Hospital Community Park runs a family-focused event June 29 through July 2. Manhattan’s flagship experience — the World Cup 26 and Telemundo Fan Village at Rockefeller Center — runs July 6 through July 19, with the iconic rink converted into a temporary soccer pitch surrounded by large screens.
Tournament organizers expect more than 1.2 million visitors in the New York-New Jersey region for a World Cup that features 104 matches across 16 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Eight matches are scheduled at MetLife Stadium, opening June 13 with Brazil versus Morocco and closing July 19 with the World Cup Final.
In Spartanburg, the tournament is drawing real local interest. Wofford College fields a Division I men’s soccer program at Snyder Field, which seats 2,250. Fifth Third Park — the 5,250-seat downtown ballpark that opened in April 2025 as home to the Hub City Spartanburgers — is already the region’s anchor venue for community sports events and a natural candidate for large-screen watch parties during the knockout rounds. The Spartanburg United Soccer Academy runs competitive youth and adult leagues countywide, with participation rising alongside the tournament’s growing national profile.
