New York City students will get to take part in the excitement for the World Cup, even if they aren’t able to attend a match.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani designated 50 different streets adjacent to schools across the five boroughs as “Soccer Streets.”
“Not everyone can afford a ticket to World Cup matches, but these kids can use their free play to learn soccer skills,” the mayor said.
“I like [soccer] when it’s all teamwork,” said third grader Eduardo Garcia.
Mamdani participated in an activation at P.S. 32 Belmont in the Bronx Monday afternoon. Kids got to play with and against the mayor in a quick soccer match. Their field? Beaumont Avenue.
Soccer Streets will be a traveling series of field days. At each stop, the school streets will be transformed into car-free areas with soccer pitches, art stations and block-parties.
Kids will play pickup matches, run drills, paint team flags and partake in World Cup celebrations.
NYC World Cup Czar Maya Handa hopes the events will engage everyone, not just soccer enthusiasts.
“Everyone is either a soccer fan or a future soccer fan so it’s our job to make sure that the buzz is spreading,” she says.
The activations started May 1 and will continue school to school through June 26, the last day of school.