The trophy has been lifted and the final whistle has blown on the FIFA World Cup, but the real legacy of this spring and summer is the tremendous support New Yorkers and visitors showed for Queens’ small businesses.

The past few months have reminded us of something we’ve known for a long time: sports are about much more than what happens on the field or court. They bring people together, strengthen communities and, perhaps most importantly, provide a major boost for local small businesses.

We saw it during the New York Knicks’ unforgettable championship run. City officials estimated the playoffs generated as much as $465 million in economic activity, with bars, restaurants and neighborhood businesses packed on game nights across all five boroughs.

Then came the World Cup. While matches were played across North America, Queens became one of the tournament’s true gathering places. Restaurants in Jackson Heights, Astoria, Jamaica, Flushing and dozens of other neighborhoods welcomed fans representing virtually every nation in the competition. The World’s Borough didn’t need to manufacture an international atmosphere—we already had one.

That is what makes Queens different. In our borough, every major sporting event becomes a neighborhood celebration and an opportunity for local entrepreneurs.

But here’s the challenge: once the confetti is swept away and the headlines move on, it’s easy for the economic momentum to fade, but it doesn’t have to.

In just a few weeks, the world’s attention returns to Queens for the US Open. The tournament generates more than $1.2 billion in annual economic impact for New York City, bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors through our borough.

Through the fall, Mets fans will continue filling Citi Field. In 2027, New York City FC will begin calling Etihad Park home, and Gotham FC – our region’s women’s soccer team –  will join them in 2028. The city’s first soccer-specific stadium will make Willets Point one of the premier sports districts in America.

Consider what will exist within just a few blocks: Citi Field, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and Etihad Park—three world-class venues hosting Major League Baseball, Grand Slam tennis, Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League. Few places anywhere in the country can match that concentration of year-round sports and entertainment.

Queens has firmly established itself as one of America’s premier sports and entertainment destinations, but stadiums alone don’t create lasting economic success.

The real winners are the family-owned restaurants serving meals before and after games. The neighborhood bars hosting watch parties. The coffee shops, bakeries, retailers, hotels and small businesses that welcome visitors long after the final score is posted.

Every ticket sold should become a customer for a local business. Every sporting event should become an opportunity to discover a new neighborhood. Every visitor should leave knowing that the best part of coming to Queens wasn’t just what happened inside the venue—it was everything they experienced outside of it.

That requires all of us to be intentional.

As New Yorkers, we have embraced these moments with incredible enthusiasm. Now let’s carry that same energy forward. If you’re heading to the US Open, arrive early and have lunch at a local restaurant. If you’re catching a Mets game, stay afterward and explore the neighborhoods along the 7 train. When Etihad Park opens, make a day of it in Queens.

The World Cup may be over, but Queens’ moment is just beginning.

Let’s make sure our small businesses keep winning long after the final whistle.

Grech is the President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. Kurien is a Founder and Principal at Main Street Wisdom and a co-ambassador of the Celebrate In Queens initiative.