The Big, Beautiful Game: Will FIFA’s World Cup live up?

How about those Knicks?

It was one of those rare moments of community, when New Yorkers spontaneously took to the streets, not in protest but in celebration! As their basketball team won the NBA finals for the first time in 53 years, you could hear the cheers erupt in pubs and parks across the city.

The streets may still be buzzing, but as the ticker tape begins to settle, will all that positive energy carry over to the newly renamed New York New Jersey Stadium for the FIFA World Cup?

Jalen Brunson will be a tough act to follow! 

The 2026 championship is without a doubt the biggest in FIFA history. A five-week, 48-team extravaganza, taking place in 16 cities across three countries and multiple time zones. 

So far, however, high ticket prices and transportation woes have been getting the most attention in the New York news cycle.

Still, you’re starting to see swarms of tourists wearing national colors, not to mention men in kilts, in Manhattan. The screens in local pubs have switched to the World Cup and - with prominent supporters, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and plenty of public viewing options it will be interesting to watch and, as a journalist, to cover.

Whether you are covering the matches or just enjoying them - you are invited to a quarter-final watch party at the Natural History Museum. This event will include food and drink and access to the museum’s current World Cup, World Cultures exhibit - FREE for FPA members - please make sure your membership is up to date and join us! Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.

— Kristen Saloomey, FPA VP