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New York City is getting what may be the biggest World Cup watch party on the planet.
State and city officials, alongside FIFA and the FIFA World Cup 2026 NYNJ Host Committee, announced a free public viewing of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final on Central Park's Great Lawn on Sunday, July 19. The massive event is expected to draw 50,000 fans, giving New Yorkers who couldn't score tickets to the championship match a chance to experience the spectacle alongside tens of thousands of fellow soccer supporters.
Presented by Global Citizen, the free watch party will transform one of the city's most iconic green spaces into a giant outdoor stadium for what is expected to be one of the most-watched sporting events in the world.
Admission will be free, but tickets will be distributed through a lottery system administered by Global Citizen. Registration opens June 11 at 10am and remains open through July 16. Doors to the Great Lawn will open at noon, with kickoff scheduled for 3pm ET.
The event will also include live entertainment, food vendors and appearances from Charlamagne Tha God and Elvis Duran, who will serve as emcees throughout the day. Twenty percent of tickets will be reserved for local nonprofit organizations and NYC Service participants.
The announcement comes as New York ramps up preparations for its role in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will bring matches and millions of visitors to the region throughout the summer. Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani framed the Central Park event as part of a broader effort to make the tournament accessible to residents regardless of whether they can afford match tickets.
There's another soccer attraction coming even sooner in the park: Officials also unveiled FIFA Arena, a temporary mini-soccer pitch that will be installed in Central Park from June 10 through July 18. Operated by Street Soccer USA, the free facility will host youth clinics, community tournaments and open-play sessions throughout the tournament, giving New Yorkers of all ages a place to get in the game themselves.
For more information and to register for the ticket lottery, click here.