You don’t need a ticket to MetLife Stadium (or even a television) to catch some of the biggest World Cup moments this summer.
As New York continues its month-long celebration of the World Cup, the city has announced that 200 LinkNYC kiosks across the five boroughs will livestream select matches, turning sidewalks and busy commercial corridors into unexpected viewing spots and bringing Spanish-language coverage of key tournament matches directly to neighborhoods. The free program is a partnership between the city, LinkNYC and Telemundo.
If you’ve ever stopped at a LinkNYC kiosk to check directions, make a call or connect to Wi-Fi, don’t be surprised if the person next to you is suddenly watching a penalty kick. The activation is designed to bring the tournament beyond stadiums and sports bars, making it possible for New Yorkers to catch the action while commuting, running errands or grabbing lunch.
“New York is a city of sidewalks as much as it is stadiums and this summer the World Cup belongs to both,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement. “You shouldn’t need a ticket to MetLife to feel connected to the world’s game.”
The viewing series officially began on June 19 with the United States’ match against Australia. Additional broadcasts are scheduled throughout the tournament, including a Norway-France matchup on June 26, a Round of 32 game on July 3, a quarterfinal on July 10 and the World Cup Final on July 19. All broadcasts will be carried by Telemundo, the tournament’s Spanish-language rights holder in the United States.
The initiative is part of a broader citywide World Cup celebration that has already seen tournament branding appear on subway cars, ferries and sanitation vehicles. Twenty LinkNYC kiosks will also receive official World Cup-themed wraps during the competition.
“The FIFA World Cup is more than a sporting event—it’s a cultural moment that brings people together across communities, generations and backgrounds,” said Claudia Chagui, executive vice president of marketing for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. “We’re excited to partner with the City of New York and LinkNYC to bring the World Cup directly into neighborhoods across the city and create new ways for fans to connect with the matches and each other.”
For anyone who has found themselves stuck in the office during a match or sprinting between appointments, this may be the next best thing to being in the stands: a chance encounter with the world’s biggest sporting event on a street corner in the city.
