The NY/NJ Host Committee and Telemundo, the exclusive channel for World Cup matches in Spanish in the U.S., announced on Thursday morning that from July 4 to July 19, Rockefeller Center will become Manhattan’s fan village for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
It is the second fan location in the New York City area that will play matches and showcase the world’s biggest tournament, following the June announcement that Liberty State Park will be the official site of the 2026 World Cup fan festival across the Hudson River.
“This national, historic landmark represents exactly the prestige and the tremendous economic impact that the 2026 World Cup will have on our region,” Tammy Murphy, First Lady of New Jersey and board chair of the host committee, said at the announcement. “We will give fans the ideal place to celebrate the world’s game at the heart of Manhattan.”
The world-famous ice-skating rink at the complex will be transformed into a soccer pitch for kickabouts between kickoffs. The pitch will be surrounded by viewing stations, from lawn chairs to table seating and steps, while two massive screens will be propped up above the Prometheus fountain.
Stalls and soccer games will be set up around Rockefeller Center, whilst the Channel Gardens surrounding the plaza will be renamed Champions’ Garden for the tournament to exhibit the previous eight countries that have won the World Cup as well as stars from their respective victorious campaigns.
“The World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime, once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Alex Lasry, CEO of the host committee, said at Rockefeller Center Thursday morning. “[It] gives us an incredible opportunity, but also puts an immense responsibility on us.”
Lasry compared the viewership amount of the most recent World Cup final between France and Argentina in 2022, with Lionel Messi finally clinching the game’s biggest prize, to the same amount of people who watched the last 13 Super Bowls combined.
“When you put that into perspective, the eyes of the world are going to be on us when we are hosting this fan village,” Lasry added. “For us to be able to do it right here, in this iconic space, is one that makes us really proud and really excited.”
The matches at the fan festival will be broadcast in Spanish, and the network will show all 104 matches live, with Spanish commentary available on Peacock, NBC Universal’s streaming service.
“The Fan Village will connect fans from around the world through the universal language of fútbol, creating a place where we can come together to experience this historic tournament in the heart of New York City,” Claudia Chagui, EVP, Marketing and Creative at Telemundo, said in a press release.
