Hundreds of young soccer stars from across the five boroughs flocked to Louis Armstrong Stadium at the National Tennis Center Friday afternoon to take part in New York City FC’s (NYCFC’s) annual Community Cup, which pits 30 neighborhoods from across the city against one another.
Organized by City in the Community (CITC), the non-profit arm of NYCFC, the fifth annual Community Cup took place in a special setting on June 19, taking center stage at the NYNJ Group Stage HQ fan fest at Louis Armstrong Stadium and serving as the curtain-raiser for a watch party for the USA’s 2-0 victory over Australia.
Ten neighborhoods who made it through earlier rounds got the chance to compete at the famous tennis stadium in Corona during Friday’s showpiece event.
The Community Cup is open to children aged 8-11 who avail of CITC’s free programming on more than 50 mini soccer pitches across the five boroughs.
Friday’s tournament marked CITC’s “capstone event” and an opportunity for children who take part in the organization’s free programming to represent their neighborhood on the big stage.
CITC Executive Director Bailee Eaglin said the event always generates excitement and neighborhood pride but noted that the excitement had reached a fever pitch this year because it coincides with the World Cup.
Teams from St. George and Crown Heights take part in the 2026 Community Cup final at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Photo by Shane O’Brien
“They take it very seriously,” Eaglin said. “But being here on a stage like this today — particularly in an official FIFA fan zone — and getting to take part and represent their own neighborhood, it means the world to them. It means the world to their parents.
“To be a young person here in New York City during the World Cup, it’s just spectacular for them.”
Eaglin added that CITC wanted to make sure that young soccer players didn’t miss out on the excitement generated by the World Cup, leading to Friday’s Community cup at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The non-profit is also bringing 154 players to World Cup games at MetLife Stadium through the end of the tournament on July 19, with players set to appear as individual player mascots at seven out of the eight games taking place in New Jersey.
For the first batch of players to experience a World Cup game in-person, the experience will live long in the memory.
“I think it meant everything to them. It was so special to see them next to some of the biggest stars in the world,” Eaglin said.
But Friday’s Community Cup provided even more young soccer players to take part in the World Cup festivities, providing over a hundred players with an opportunity to play in front of family members and neighbors in the 14,000-seater Louis Armstrong Stadium, which began filling up with USMNT fans by the end of the tournament.
For the 10 neighborhoods who made the Community Cup final stages at Louis Armstrong Stadium, the experience was “unbelievable,” according to Heather Butts, coach of the victorious St. George team.
“After all their hard work and everything they’ve done, the ability to be at the US Open where people like Venus and Serena Williams have played, that’s just unbelievable,” Butts said.
The St. George team celebrates after winning the Community Cup on Friday. Photo by Shane O’Brien
Butts, who lives in Bayside, has been involved with CITC for six years through her H.E.A.L.T.H for Youths non-profit, which runs an alternative to incarceration program across the city.
“I love programs that help to keep young people out of harm’s way,” Butts said.
She credited CITC for installing more than 50 pitches across the city and creating access for children in disadvantaged areas.
“I know for a fact that our students would not be able to play the game that they love if it wasn’t for CITC,” Butts said.
Butts’ St. George team defeated a team representing Crown Heights 1-0 in an evenly contested final in front of a large crowd of parents, neighbors and Team USA fans.
Eaglin said the talent on show at Friday’s event was a direct result of CITC’s efforts to provide free access for children across the city, regardless of their family’s economic status.
“Pay to play is something that we tackle daily,” she said. “There’s phenomenal talent across the city and there’s phenomenal levels of interest in the sport. Soccer is the greatest sport in the world. It’s a common denominator. It’s something that every young person should have access to along with all of the benefits that come with it: socialization, mental health, and well-being.
“It’s our responsibility to ensure that we’re making it as accessible as possible.”
Butts, an associate professor at Columbia University’s School of Public Health, similarly believes that providing free access to soccer programming is of paramount importance to children’s mental and physical health.
“They get fresh, healthy food at the program, they’re able to socialize with their peers and people they’ve never met,” Butts said. “They’re able to have access to a healthy environment to be able to play soccer.”