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    North                       The Indian Eye

                              AMERICANNewsline

             16                                                                                                                  JUNE 19, 2026
                       New York Rolls Out the

               Red Carpet for World Cup

              Affordable tickets, free fan zones and massive public celebrations aim to make football’s

                                                biggest event accessible to all New Yorkers.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            paigns throughout the tournament.
                                                                                                                      Keeping the city functioning
            New York, NY
                                                                                                                  smoothly during the expected influx
                  s  the  FIFA  World  Cup  2026                                                                  of visitors remains another major
                  begins, New York City is pre-                                                                   priority. Authorities have announced
            Aparing to welcome millions of                                                                        special transportation plans for each
            visitors  and ensure that the tourna-                                                                 of the eight local match days, includ-
            ment becomes a celebration not just                                                                   ing  dedicated  bus  and  shuttle  corri-
            for ticket holders but for residents                                                                  dors, restrictions  on  non-essential
            across all five boroughs. City authori-                                                               vehicle  traffic  in  key  areas  and  ex-
            ties have launched an ambitious pro-                                                                  panded public transit messaging.
            gramme of public events, transpor-                                                                        The city has also expanded ferry
            tation measures, business initiatives                                                                 operations, adding vessels and trips
            and volunteer efforts designed to                                                                     on high-demand routes. Officials de-
            make the World Cup accessible, af-                                                                    scribe the initiative as the largest fer-
            fordable and inclusive.                                                                               ry service deployment in New York
                Mayor Zohran Kwame Mam-                                                                           City’s history.
            dani has placed accessibility at the   “These events will help ensure   tural institutions and small businesses.  Emergency preparedness has
            centre of the city’s preparations.   the excitement and economic impact   Restaurants are also being incor-  been strengthened through a uni-
            “The World Cup belongs to New     of the World Cup are felt through-  porated into the celebrations. Hun-  fied coordination structure involving
            Yorkers,” he said while outlining a   out every neighborhood,” said Julie   dreds of establishments will partici-  multiple agencies. The city’s Emer-
            series of initiatives aimed at ensuring   Coker, President and CEO of New   pate in the “Five Borough Winners   gency Operations Center has been
            that the tournament is not limited   York City Tourism + Conventions.  Special,” offering meal and drink   activated, while specialised working
            to those who can afford premium       The city has also introduced   promotions priced at $26.        groups are focusing on public safe-
            match tickets. According to the may-  “Soccer  Streets,”  transforming  50   Special attention is being given   ty, health services, transportation,
            or, New York is uniquely positioned   streets into temporary football pitch-  to immigrant-owned businesses and   infrastructure and community en-
            to host the world’s most popular   es and community gathering spaces.  commercial corridors. The city has   gagement. A Joint Information Cen-
            sporting event because it is “a city   Additional  recreational  opportuni-  distributed a World Cup Business   ter will provide multilingual public
            where every nation is already repre-  ties have been created through ex-  Toolkit and outreach  materials  to   information during the tournament,
            sented, where every language is spo-  tended field lighting at more than 50   more  than  56,000  New  Yorkers,  fo-  and a dedicated alert system will al-
            ken and every cuisine is eaten.”  locations, generating an estimated   cusing particularly on areas such as   low residents and visitors to receive
                One  of  the  flagship  measures   4,000 additional hours of play during   Jackson  Heights,  Little  Haiti,  Kore-  real-time updates by text message.
            announced  by  the  city  is  the  avail-  the summer. A temporary “FIFA   atown and the South Bronx.     To help visitors navigate the city,
            ability  of  1,000  affordable  World   Arena” in Central Park will host free   The administration has paired   New York has launched the Summer
            Cup tickets for New Yorkers priced   clinics,  tournaments  and  open-play   economic  initiatives with efforts to   Welcome Corps, a volunteer pro-
            at  $50  each.  The  package  includes   sessions throughout the competition.  protect vulnerable communities. A   gramme involving NYC Service, New
            free round-trip bus transportation    Officials  hope  the  tournament   citywide “Know Your Rights” cam- York City Emergency Management
            to MetLife Stadium, where matches   will  generate  significant  economic   paign has been launched to provide   and New York Cares. Volunteers
            will be played.                   benefits. More than one million visi-  information on labour protections, le-  will be stationed at busy locations
                Beyond stadium attendance, the   tors are expected to travel to the New   gal services and constitutional rights.  to provide directions, assist visitors,
            city has created an extensive network   York-New  Jersey  region  during  the   The  Mayor’s  Office  of  Immigrant   support people with accessibility
            of free public viewing opportunities.   World Cup. To encourage spending   Affairs has distributed multilingual   needs and help distribute informa-
            More than 100 free watch parties will   across  the city  rather than concen-  information kits in more than ten   tion during periods of extreme heat.
            be held across parks, plazas, market-  trating activity around match venues,  languages. At the same time, the De-  “For New Yorkers, this is light
            places  and  theatres  in  all  five  bor-  the administration has launched the   partment of Consumer and Worker   work,” Mayor Mamdani said. “We’re
            oughs. A free public screening of the   “NYC Neighborhood Passport.” De-  Protection has contacted over 77,000   used to pointing visitors to the near-
            World  Cup  final  in  Central  Park  is   veloped with community partners, the   licensed businesses regarding work-  est subway station or answering ques-
            expected to attract more than 50,000   initiative encourages visitors to ex-  place protection laws and plans a se-  tions from the millions of people who
            spectators.                       plore immigrant neighborhoods,  cul-  ries of worker-rights awareness cam-  visit our beautiful city every year.”

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