New York, New York - The World Cup final on July 19 will be broadcast in Central Park for about 50,000 people, the mayor of New York and the state governor announced Monday.
"The most iconic match of the most iconic tournament in the world deserves to be watched in the most iconic park in the world," Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters.
Tickets to the game-watching event are to be free and will be allocated via a lottery system.
Governor Kathy Hochul added that the state of New York has allocated $6 million to finance the watch party.
"This is the summertime go-to spot for New Yorkers, and now it'll be the city's front row seat to that beautiful game," Hochul said.
The final will be played just outside the city at the MetLife Stadium, which was rebranded as the New York New Jersey Stadium during the World Cup to comply with FIFA sponsorship rules.
The highly anticipated world soccer tournament – which is this year being co-hosted by the nations of Canada, Mexico, and the US – is set to begin on Thursday.