The biggest sporting event on the planet has officially arrived, and while MetLife Stadium across the river prepares to host some of the tournament’s most anticipated heavyweight matches, New York City is planting its own soccer flag right in the heart of the world’s most diverse borough.
From June 11 through June 27, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is trading its tennis rackets for soccer cleats.
The iconic home of the US Open has officially been transformed into the ultimate World Cup Fan HQ for the group stage, offering local and international fans a massive, centralized hub to experience the beautiful game.
World Cup 2026 Fan Zone in Queens: What to Expect
For the next two weeks, the sprawling tennis complex will serve as the epicenter of New York soccer culture.
The USTA Tennis Center has been outfitted with massive, state-of-the-art LED viewing screens inside the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium and surrounding courtyards, creating a stadium-like viewing atmosphere for every single group stage match.
Organizers have designed the World Cup Queens Fan Zone to accommodate tens of thousands of fans daily.
Beyond the live match screenings, visitors can expect interactive soccer clinics, cultural exhibitions representing the competing nations, and live music.
Because it’s Queens—a borough famously home to hundreds of languages and cultures—the festival’s culinary lineup is a massive draw.
Pop-up food vendors from across the borough are serving up everything from authentic Ecuadorian ceviche to Moroccan tagine, mirroring the global matchups happening on the pitch.
Queens Soccer Watch Parties and Flushing Meadows Logistics
Hosting a mega-event of this scale requires elite infrastructure, which makes Flushing Meadows-Corona Park the perfect venue.
For sports fans wondering how to get to the Queens soccer watch parties, local transit officials have significantly increased service to handle the influx of international tourists and local die-hards.
The MTA is running extra trains on the 7 subway line, and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is providing direct, enhanced service to the Mets-Willets Point station throughout the group stage.
Additionally, with Citi Field located right next door, coordinated parking and security measures are in place to ensure smooth traffic flow.
Unlike traditional stadium events, entry to the USTA Fan HQ is free to the public, though certain high-profile match viewings require advance digital ticket registration due to capacity limits.
Why the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is the Perfect Hub
Choosing Queens to host NYC’s premier World Cup viewing village was an intentional nod to the city’s rich soccer tapestry.
Flushing Meadows has long been a legendary breeding ground for local soccer talent, with its public park pitches packed every single weekend with immigrant leagues and youth academies.
By utilizing the world-class USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the city bridges its elite sporting infrastructure with grassroots fandom.
It gives the millions of soccer fans in the Tri-State area who couldn’t secure tickets to the live games a premier, electrifying environment to cheer on their home countries.
Whether you are rooting for the USMNT, El Tri, or a dark-horse underdog, the Queens Fan HQ is the place to witness history.