By Tracy Zwick
With big stars on the pitch and national pride on the line, the 2026 World Cup comes to town this week. The tournament’s group stage begins Thursday, and Team USA takes the field in L.A. on Friday. Ticket prices have been the subject of controversy. But on the UWS, you don’t need pricey seats to nurse your World Cup Fever. Here are some ways to maximize your World Cup experience – from watch parties to souvenir shopping – right in the neighborhood:
AMNH: 200 Central Park West between West 77th and West 81st Streets
Want a selfie with Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? The American Museum of Natural History has you covered … via wax figures on loan from Madame Tussaud’s. World Cup matches, beginning with the group stage this week, will be shown on large screens in various parts of the museum (watch parties are free with museum admission); there will be FIFA gear on sale in the museum’s gift shops; and they’ve got activity zones that are fun for the whole family. I particularly enjoyed the “Goal Zone” area (additional ticket required, free for members), where you can test your kick velocity, act as a virtual goalkeeper in a two-player penalty-kick simulation, or play non-virtual soccer-related games. Check the website for details. The museum is also hosting “World Cup, World Cultures: Celebrating the Community and Science of Sport” – a series about the science, culture, and shared experience of athletics – that will feature all-day programs on June 13th and July 11th.
Lincoln Center: Broadway between West 62nd and 65th Streets
Lincoln Center’s “Summer for the City” series of free and low-cost activities has loads of World Cup-themed experiences. They include a series of 20-minute freestyle soccer shows, Brazil Day, World Cup DJ Nights, crafty, soccer-themed afternoons on the Plaza, and an outdoor film series called “Penalty Flicks.” I’m hoping to be there for “Ladies Night: She’s the Man” – an outdoor screening of this millennial rom-com classic involving an all-boys soccer team, told as a riff on Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan: 212 West 83rd Street between Broadway and Amsterdam
The Children’s Museum is hosting “World Cup Family Fun” – which began last month and runs through mid-July. A “Watch Party” will take place this weekend, for young fans to watch together on a big screen. Hands-on family programs inspired by the World Cup include finger-puppet making, yoga, jersey design, hat decorating, collage, and soccer stations operated in partnership with West Side Soccer League. All World Cup programming is included with museum entry.
New York Public Library: various branches
Public library branches in the Bronx, Staten Island, and Manhattan — including on the UWS and Morningside Heights — are hosting free watch parties. The gatherings start on opening day, June 11, and continue through the World Cup final on July 19. Not every branch is participating, and participating branches are not hosting watch parties for every match, so click here for details on which branches are showing matches you want to see.
From limited-edition drinks cups at Jake’s Dilemma and The Gin Mill, to food and cocktail deals at Tiki Chick, local establishments are offering World Cup specials beginning this week. One is Emmy Squared Pizza, with an outpost on West 60th Street between West End and Tenth Avenues. Emmy has launched a lineup of Detroit-style pies inspired by the USA, Brazil, France, and Germany teams. The USA-themed ‘za features ground beef, American cheese, lettuce, and pickles, whereas the Germany pie comes with chicken schnitzel, Muenster cheese, whole grain mustard, fennel, and dill. Team France’s version features Gruyère (naturally), with bacon, crème fraîche and thyme.
NYC’s tourism office is promoting a citywide World Cup initiative in which restaurants offer special $26 food-and-drink combinations during the 2026 tournament. With more than 600 proprietors taking part, UWS participants include Blondie’s Sports, Celeste, Westside Market, E’s Bar, Hi-Life, Tarralucci E Vino, The Ribbon and more. A full listing of participating restaurants and bars, plus events and offers can be found on NYC Tourism’s website. Use the filters to isolate UWS results.
Central Park
Get out and play soccer at a new mini-pitch in the parking lot of Tavern on the Green in Central Park near West 67th Street, or hit Central Park for a World Cup Final Watch Party. Global Citizen is hosting the party for 50,000 New Yorkers on the Great Lawn. Tickets are free and will be distributed via lottery; entries available here. Riverside Park has plenty of soccer fields too, for those inspired by the action on the world stage.
The Intrepid Museum: 12th Avenue and West 46th Street (Pier 86)
Down the road a bit from the UWS, the Intrepid, the aircraft carrier-turned-museum docked in the Hudson at West 46th Street, is hosting more than 50 free World Cup watch parties on Pier 86. It will offer large screens, food vendors, and merchandise for sale, all set against spectacular Hudson River views. The livestreaming begins Thursday with Mexico vs. South Africa kicking off at 3 p.m. and continues throughout the tournament.
World Cup Shopping
Jerseys, collectibles and other World Cup memorabilia will be easy to find on the UWS. Shops at the AMNH will be selling stuff, as will a temporary FIFA World Cup store on the ground-floor level of The Shops at Columbus Circle. If you prefer to shop at a local business, Soccer Post, at 250 West 86th Street off the corner of Broadway, offers soccer jerseys and other soccer-related merchandise.
Please add your own picks for UWS World Cup-themed experiences and activities to the comments!
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