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As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway, New York City officials are warning residents to expect significant congestion on match days, when thousands of fans will travel through Midtown en route to matches at MetLife Stadium. To keep things moving, the city has officially designated each local match day as a "Gridlock Alert Day" and is strongly encouraging people to leave their cars at home.
And the warning isn't just aimed at soccer fans. Even if you have zero interest in the World Cup and don’t know Messi from Mbappé, you may still feel the effects if you're trying to get across Manhattan.
On match days, New York City will turn parts of Midtown into a transit-first zone: 42nd Street will become a bus-only corridor stretching from First Avenue to 12th Avenue, while portions of Fifth Avenue, Sixth Avenue, West 40th Street and West 41st Street will be dedicated to buses, official World Cup vehicles and emergency services. The special traffic patterns will begin six hours before kickoff and remain in place for up to three hours after matches end.
Additional street closures will affect areas around Penn Station, where officials expect heavy crowds boarding trains and buses after games. Several blocks around 32nd and 33rd Streets will be closed to vehicle traffic during peak periods.
The city is also asking businesses to reschedule truck deliveries on match days. Delivery restrictions will cover Midtown between 30th and 60th Streets, from river to river, during the busiest periods surrounding each game.
If you absolutely must drive into Midtown on one of these dates, pack patience. And if you have another option, the city would very much like you to use it.
Official World Cup Gridlock Alert Days
- Saturday, June 13
- Tuesday, June 16
- Monday, June 22
- Thursday, June 25
- Saturday, June 27
- Tuesday, June 30
- Sunday, July 5
- Sunday, July 19