Queens to host free fan World Cup watch party

The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will be the home of Queens’ free fan zone event throughout the length of the upcoming World Cup tournament. File photo by Ajay Suresh/Wikimedia Commons

By Ryan Schwach

While a train trip to New Jersey and tickets to a World Cup match could run New Yorkers upwards of $1,000, they could instead take in the tournament free of charge at the city’s fan zone in Queens.

Initially announced as a paid event in December, the Queens Fan Zone at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will be free to enter, Mayor Zohran Mamdani will announce Monday.

Throughout the length of the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to June 27, Queens soccer fans and visitors can head to the tennis stadium for live match watch parties, cultural events, and programming from local businesses.

The World’s Borough watch party will also serve as the official flagship fan event in the New York–New Jersey area for the World Cup.

Mamdani will officially announce free fan locations in all five boroughs alongside Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday.

"When I think back on my first World Cup, some of my most meaningful memories weren’t in the stadium, they were in the fan zones, surrounded by thousands of people brought together by a pure love of the game,” Mamdani said in a statement. “That’s what we’re building here: a World Cup.”

The mayor, a soccer fan himself, has called for efforts to make this summer’s World Cup more affordable for New Yorkers dating back to his time on the campaign trail.

Maya Handa, Mamdani’s World Cup czar, said the free events help meet that promise.

“By expanding free programming across all five boroughs, we are ensuring that local restaurants and small businesses share in the benefits of the World Cup,” she said.

The announcement comes as locals and visitors alike lament the rising costs of transportation to and from MetLife Stadium, where matches in the New York–New Jersey area are being held.

Last week, NJ Transit announced round-trip tickets to East Rutherford will cost $150 during the tournament.

But the price of train tickets is dwarfed by the cost of match tickets.

Tickets for the Brazil versus Morocco match at MetLife are currently listed for $1,579 on ticket app SeatGeek.

The cost of the France versus Senegal match is a relative bargain at $792.

The Mamdani administration hopes the free fan zone events will be the best way for locals to experience the World Cup without breaking the bank.

“In the past, host cities have been criticized for failing to ensure their own workers and residents benefit and get to participate in the opportunities this global game presents,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. “Under Mayor Mamdani, we are charting a new model where New Yorkers across the five boroughs are prioritized with free events, activations and celebrations like these.”

Queens and its tens of thousands of soccer-loving inhabitants will have a special role when the World Cup comes to town, not just with the official fan zone but through borough-wide events.

Earlier this month, the Association for a Better New York awarded grants to several Queens groups to support fan engagement and youth recreation during the World Cup.

LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Queens Economic Development Corporation, Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement, the Queens Chamber of Commerce, Queens Theatre, Tibet FC, REMA4US Inc., and Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning were among those given funding.

“ABNY is proud to support 30 community organizations across all five boroughs with a total of $250,000 to help create welcoming spaces for fans, engage local businesses, and provide youth programming inspired by this historic tournament,” said ABNY CEO Emma Pfohman.