Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Monday that New York City will host a free World Cup Final watch party on Central Park’s Great Lawn on July 19, open to more than 50,000 fans, with tickets distributed by lottery.
Mamdani made the announcement in Central Park alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Gov. Hochul, former Liberian President and soccer legend George Weah, and Italian World Cup winners Roberto Baggio and Christian “Bobo” Vieri. He criticized the Trump administration’s visa policies, saying journalists from tournament-qualifying countries on the president’s travel ban list and coaches and players from certain foreign national teams had been refused entry to the United States.
“This is anathema to what this tournament is supposed to be about,” Mamdani said. “If we can’t even allow players, teams, journalists covering them to come to this country, it begs a larger question about our commitment to the spirit of this tournament.”
The announcement came on the same day that Trump’s border czar Tom Homan told Fox News he had reviewed an operational plan to expand ICE’s presence across New York City. “I made her a promise: you’re going to see more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen in New York City, and it’s coming,” Homan said, according to the New York Daily News. Soccer fans in the United States have raised concerns about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operating at or near stadiums during matches. Bushwick Daily has reported that federal agents removed a handcuffed man from a local emergency room.
Mamdani said he secured 1,000 tickets to World Cup matches at $50 each, far below resale prices that have reached thousands of dollars for high-demand games. The tournament’s ticket sales are under investigation by the Attorneys General of New York and New Jersey, according to the Daily News, which also reported that Infantino has faced criticism for surge pricing and a resale market that has driven prices for sought-after matches into the thousands.
Mamdani had previously criticized Infantino on the campaign trail over ticketing and Infantino’s deference to President Trump in planning the tournament, according to the Daily News. Asked directly Monday whether those criticisms still stood, Mamdani did not answer directly, saying his primary goal is to make the tournament the “most affordable and accessible experience for as many New Yorkers as possible.” “I’m willing to work with everyone to that end,” he said. Mamdani and Infantino had met at City Hall in March.
“We will make this World Cup one that as many people as possible can participate in,” Mamdani said. “I want to say thank you to everyone who shares that same mission, all those who have done so much to make the world game belong to the world.”
Featured image: Courtesy bushwickdaily.com
