Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul, Mayor Mamdani, FIFA and NYNJ Host Committee Announce Free Watch Party in Central Park for FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final

Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans, Central Park Conservancy President and CEO Betsy Smith and NYNJ Host Committee CEO Alex Lasry today announced a free watch party in Central Park for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final on Sunday, July 19. Tickets for the event - which will be one of the largest free FIFA World Cup 2026 watch parties in the world - will be administered by Global Citizen through a lottery system. Individuals interested in participating must register here, with the lottery opening up on Thursday, June 11, at 10 a.m. and closing on July 16. Doors will open at 12:00 p.m. ET and the Final match will begin at 3:00 p.m. ET.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Good morning, New York. Excuse me, this is New York. Are you fired up to be here? [...] That's a little more like it. Wake up, everyone. We have soccer on the brain. Now, first of all, I want to welcome New York City's number one soccer fan, our Mayor, Mamdani, who's out there showing his skills on the pitch, showing up the kids. Did you feel good about that? We decided this is how we're going to spend more of our time, but he has done an amazing - he's been an amazing partner as we begin to welcome the world to New York's World Cup.

I also want to thank our FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, who first came to us and started the preparations, and started bringing the energy, the vitality, the excitement of this once in a lifetime opportunity. So we are so excited that it's just around the corner. Let's give him another round of applause.

George Weah, the soccer legend and Former President of Liberia, has joined us to show off his talents as well. Hugh Evans, Global Citizen co-founder and CEO. Alex Lasry, CEO of the New York, New Jersey FIFA Host Committee. Doing a great job. Our Parks Commissioner, Betsy Smith, the Central Park Conservancy President, and Justin Brannan, the Senior Director of Major Operations.

But can you just feel it in the air, everybody? There's something different. Okay, it's not just the Knicks, I get it. It's not just the Knicks, but it is the Knicks. But everybody's so alive and so excited. I was just on the subway the other day, and you know what? People are talking to each other. Okay? This is earth-shaking. And they're sharing stories and talking about somebody's socks that say FIFA, and somebody else's hat that says the Knicks.

So I can just feel the electricity, and I'd love to harness this as well. So we are literally counting the minutes until the World Cup comes to New York, and we literally expect over a million people, million plus, to descend from all over the world to come to our great region. And we want every single one to have a world-class experience, and every single New Yorker to be part of the World Cup magic, even if you can't get a ticket to the stadium. Most New Yorkers are probably not getting tickets to the stadium, but we want them to share in the sheer joy of this - especially July 19th, with the FIFA World Cup final.

So we together are here to announce that we are having the largest watch party, the biggest match in the world, largest watch party, biggest match in the world, right here in Central Park. You heard it first here. And guess what the price tag is? It's free.

So right here on the Great Lawn - there's no better place. The quintessential New York experience to bring everybody to this location, from Shakespeare in the Park to the Global Citizen Festival, the Philharmonic, or just sunbathing. 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.

Again, we've partnered with super fan Mamdani and sponsors like Global Citizen. We've invested $6 million from the State of New York to make this experience happen. And on July 19th, over 50,000 people from across New York City and the world will be able to participate and watch the final together right here.

So we're so excited. We're going to have huge LED screens, immersive sound, New York City DJs to add a little special vibe to it, food vendors, and an incredible halftime show. Mayor, are you performing? Is that the secret or are you - no? Okay, just checking. Just checking. Once in a generation lifetime, you're part of something that is magical.

Lottery tickets - get this everyone. We open on Thursday, June 11th at Global Citizen's website, globalcitizen.org. Again, thank you, Global Citizen. Let's give them another round of applause. Tickets are free, but we're setting aside 20 percent, 10,000 tickets for youth soccer groups and for community organizations and not-for-profits so everybody can make sure they have a seat here on the Great Lawn.

And there'll be watch parties throughout the five boroughs. The Mayor and I announced statewide as well as the boroughs, so we're going to be looking forward to seeing fans cheer all the way from Syracuse to Staten Island. And I cannot wait for that moment when Team USA is in the finals. You heard it here. Okay? Who's laughing? Who's laughing? Give me a break.

For a soccer mom like me, soccer mom, this is a dream come true. But we also are not just going to be filled with cheers, we're also going to be filled with kicks because we just cut the ribbon on FIFA Arena, Central Park's new mini soccer pitch, so players of all ages can practice their soccer skills or actually learn them for the first time - whether you're in a soccer clinic or kicking the ball with friends.

And you think about it, it could be a child's very first experience with a soccer ball. Someone here on this pitch of dreams, I'm sorry, Field of Dreams, but this is the pitch of dreams for a young person who maybe never had that experience, but becomes electrified about how exciting it is to be united in a sport that is known around the world.

This is a sport that brings people together like no other, a global experience for everyone. It is the world's most played and most watched sport, so let's let it happen for young children right here as well, perhaps for the first time. So I want to say this: New York is not just hosting the World Cup, New York is the World Cup, and I want to thank everybody here who's making this exciting moment happen.

Because New York, this is our moment. This is our moment. From the Knicks to the kicks, we are the envy of the world. The envy of the world. So let's just own it. Let's celebrate, everybody. Congratulations. Let me bring up the Mayor of New York City, super soccer fan, Mayor Mamdani.