NEW YORK: The World Cup final on July 19 will be broadcast in Central Park for about 50,000 people, the mayor of New York and the state governor announced on Monday.

“The most iconic match of the most iconic tournament in the world deserves to be watched in the most iconic park in the world,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters.

Tickets will be free and allocated via a lottery system. Governor Kathy Hochul said the state has allocated $6 million to finance the watch party.

“This is the summertime go-to spot for New Yorkers, and now it’ll be the city’s front row seat to that beautiful game,” Hochul said.

The final will be played just outside the city at the MetLife Stad­ium, rebranded the New York New Jersey Stadium during the World Cup to comply with FIFA sponsorship rules.

The tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the Unite States begins on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026