Governor Kathy Hochul: Good morning, New York. Excuse me, this is New York. Are you fired up to be here? Alright, that's a little more like it. Wake up everyone, we have soccer on the brain. First of all, I want to welcome New York City's number one soccer fan, our Mayor Mamdani, who's out there showing his skills on the pitch, showing up the kids. Did you feel good about that? We decide this is how we're going to spend more of our time, but he's been an amazing partner as we begin to welcome the world to New York's World Cup. I also want to thank our FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, who first came to us and started the preparations and started bringing the energy, the vitality, the excitement of this once in a lifetime opportunity. So, we are so excited that it's just around the corner. Let's give him another round of applause. George Weah, the soccer legend and former president of Liberia, has joined us to show off his talents as well; Hugh Evans, Global Citizen, co-founder and CEO; Alex Lasry, CEO of the New York-New Jersey FIFA Host Committee — doing a great job; our Parks commissioner; Betsy Smith, the Central Park Conservancy president; and Justin Brannan, the senior director of major operations.
But can you just feel it in the air, everybody? There's something different. Okay, it's not just the Knicks, I get it. It's not just the Knicks, but it is the Knicks. But everybody's so alive and so excited. I was just on the subway the other day, and you know what? People are talking to each other. Okay? This is like — this earth-shaking, and they're sharing stories and talking about somebody's socks that say FIFA and somebody else's hat that says the Knicks. And so, I can just feel the electricity, and I love to harness this as well. So, we are literally counting the minutes until the World Cup comes to New York, and we literally expect over a million people — million plus — to descend from all over the world to come to our great region. And we want every single one to have a world-class experience. And every single New Yorker can be part of the World Cup magic, even if you can't get a ticket to the stadium. Okay, most New Yorkers are probably not getting tickets to the stadium, but we want them to share in the sheer joy of this. So especially, July 19 with the FIFA World Cup Final. So, we together are here to announce that we are having the largest watch party, the biggest match in the world — largest watch-party, biggest match — right here in Central Park.
You heard it, first tier, and guess what the price tag is? It's free! Yeah. So, right here on the Great Lawn, there's no better place — the quintessential New York experience to bring everybody to this location from Shakespeare in the Park to the Global Citizen Festival, the Philharmonic, or just sunbathing. 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. And again, we partner with super fan Mamdani and sponsors like Global Citizen. We've invested $6 million from the state of New York to make this experience happen. And on July 19, over 50,000 people from across New York City and the world will be able to participate and watch the final together right here. So, we're so excited. We're gonna have huge LCD screens, immersive sound, New York City DJs to add a little special vibe to it, food vendors, and an incredible halftime show. Mayor, are you performing? Is that the secret [inaudible]? Okay, just checking.
Once in a generation, a lifetime, is something that is magical. Lottery tickets — get this everyone — will be open on Thursday, June 11 at Global Citizen's website, globalcitizen.org. Again, thank you Global Citizen. Let's give them another round of applause. Tickets are free, but we're setting aside 20 percent — 10,000 tickets — for youth soccer groups and for community organizations and not-for-profit so everybody can make sure they have a seat here on the Great Lawn. And there'll be watch parties throughout the five boroughs. The mayor and I announced statewide as well as the boroughs, so we're going to be looking forward to seeing fans cheer all the way from Syracuse to Staten Island. And I cannot wait for that moment when Team USA — Team USA in the finals, you heard it here, okay? Who's laughing? Give me a break.
Well, for a soccer mom like me, this is a dream come true. But we also are not just gonna be filled with cheers, we're also gonna be fill with kicks because we just cut the ribbon on FIFA Arena, Central Park's new mini soccer pitch. So, players of all ages can practice their soccer skills or actually learn them for the first time, whether you're in a soccer clinic or kicking the ball with friends. And you think about it, it could be a child's very first experience with a soccer ball. Someone here on this pitch of dreams — sorry, field of dreams — but this is the pitch of dream for a young person who maybe never had that experience, but becomes electrified about how exciting it is to be united in a sport that is known around the world.
This is a sport that brings people together like no other, a global experience for everyone. It is the world's most-played and most-watched sport, so let's let it happen for young children right here as well, perhaps for the first time. So, I want to say this: New York is not just hosting the World Cup, New York is the World Cup. And I want to thank everybody here who's making this exciting moment happen. Because New York, this is our moment. This is our moment. From the Knicks to the Kicks. We are the envy of the world, the envy of the word, so let's just own it. Let's celebrate everybody. Congratulations. Let me bring up the mayor of New York City's super soccer fan, Mayor Mamdani.
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Good morning. It is a pleasure to be together here in Central Park in the heart of Manhattan. And I am glad that we are joined today by Governor Kathy Hochul, who has been such a partner in preparing for this moment; FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is a big month coming up. And I also want to acknowledge we have leaders from across our city and state. We have our borough president here, Brad Hoylman-Sigal as the president of Manhattan. We have Alex Lasry — as the governor said — the president of the New York-New Jersey Host Committee; J.T. Batson, the CEO of U.S. Soccer Federation; and Hugh Evans from Global Citizens. We also have our Parks commissioner, Tricia Shimamura. We have our World Cup team, Maya Handa and Ellyn Canfield. And we also want to say thank you to Betsy Smith, the president of the Central Park Conservancy. Betsy has been an extraordinary steward of Central Park and has made this project possible. And I want to thank all of the people legends that we have here with us as well.
You know, when I was a child growing up in East Africa, there were towering figures. And then there was George Weah. The first African player to ever win the Ballon d'Or. If you had told seven-year-old me that I would one day go into the same line of work as this man, I would be extremely disappointed to understand that you meant politics. But while I will not pretend to possess President Weah’s speed or his calm comfort in front of goal, nor would I have ever been able to stomach wearing a Chelsea kit, we do share something in common: a desire for this World Cup to be enjoyed and celebrated by every New Yorker. That is what brings us together today as we make an enormously exciting announcement, that when the World Cup final kicks off on July 19, just a few miles from here, New York City will host a free watch party for 50,000 New Yorkers on the Great Lawn. The most iconic match of the most iconic tournament in the world deserves to be watched in the most iconic park in the world with the most iconic skyline as its backdrop.
And in a moment where sports, experiences and memories they create have grown increasingly unattainable for working people, we will make this viewing party 100 percent free. And you will need not spend thousands of dollars to watch the final alongside your fellow New Yorkers. That is what it looks like when the state and the city works together on behalf of the New Yorker that we are so proud to serve. And it is proof that government can not only deliver services that measurably improve New York's lives but also can do its part to deliver joy as well. And just in the language of delivering joy, I do also want to say thank you to the child who let my shot go into the goal when we were taking our kicks. I know that it was actually straight down the middle. After all, the best World Cups are those that reflect the energy of where they're being held. That serve as both a celebration of the best football players in the world and the cities where the games are being played. I will always remember being 18 years old and watching the 2010 World Cup with friends in Durban, South Africa. The sound of endless vuvuzelas, the freedom of playing beach soccer on the sand, the smell of meat cooking on the braai. Those memories are some that I will never forget.
And with this watch party, we will create those same memories for the next generation of New Yorkers, and we will do so by bringing out the best that our city has to offer. We will have food, musicians and entertainers reflecting the full breadth of talent and creativity of the five boroughs. Tickets will be available, as the Governor said, beginning this Thursday at 10 a.m. And we have set 20 percent of those tickets for New Yorker's who help make our city what it is: non-profits and New York City service volunteers. This is but one of a larger effort to make the World Cup belong to every New Yorker. We have delivered 1,000 affordable tickets to the World Cup itself at $50 apiece; free fan fest in all five boroughs; $26 food and drink options at more than 488 small businesses and restaurants across our city. And today, right here in Central Park, we are cutting the ribbon — or we already have rather — on a mini soccer pitch where New Yorkers can hone their skills for the next few weeks. The only place in the world where I could ever stand alongside such incredible FIFA legends and be playing at the same time.
Throughout the World Cup, New Yorkers will come here. They will attempt their best trivelas. Some flagrant side tackles will be attempted. Please, no two-footing here. And someone will try to imitate Bukayo Saka and then realize that no one can in fact imitate Bukayo Saka. My sincere hope is that in the run-up to the 2038 World Cup when the U.S. Men's National Team's next great prospect is asked where his journey began, he will be able to say, “Right here, on this pitch in Central Park.”
I will close with this. One of the great injustices in football history is that President Weah never got to compete in a World Cup. And while we cannot go back in time and provide Liberia with the one point they needed in 2002, we will do the next best thing. We will make this World Cup one that as many people as possible can participate in. I want to say thank you to everyone who shares that same mission, all those who have done so much to make the world's game belong to the world. Now, please welcome FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Gianni Infantino, President, FIFA: Good morning, New York. Good morning, everyone — dear mayor, governor [and] the great George Weah, our legends here. And can I just name those who are sitting here in front of me? Roberto Baggio, great Italian legend; Marco Materazzi, world champion in 2006; Bobo Vieri, fantastic Italian legend as well; Youri Djorkaeff, world champion 1998 with France; Hugh Evans [of] Global Citizen; Alex Lasry from the CEO of the host committee; the commissioner; [and] everyone present here today for this fantastic occasion in New York.
And today is definitely the day, dear mayor, to say thank you. Thank you to you. Thank you to every citizen of New York for making New York what it is, for welcoming the world. And we all know that the world needs an occasion to come together to unite. That's what the World Cup does; we want to unite the world. We want to bring the world together, and we want to bring the world together in joy, in happiness, in unity. And New York is exactly a symbol for all of that. It is not by coincidence that the final of the World Cup will be played here on the 19 of July. And as of today, with the inauguration of this beautiful FIFA arena in the most iconic park in the world, in Central Park. As of today, we start, Mayor, taking over the city, taking over New York. It's soccer territory as of now, or football territory as we call it. Okay, we [will] allow basketball for the next few days as well. We [will] share a little bit with them. And after, we definitely take over, and we will invade this beautiful city with hordes, millions of barbarians, coming in — but happy barbarians — who have their faces painted with the colors of their countries, of their teams, who are wearing the colors proudly of who is playing as we see already in the whole city. Show your flag.
New York is such an international city. We have more than 200 nationalities here, like FIFA, more than the UN. And everyone should be proud of where he or she comes from, and everyone should show it, exactly because we have the World Cup. So, in this coming 42, 43 days — in three days we start the World Cup — New York, which is already, of course, one of the capitals of the world, will definitely become the world capital, the capital of soccer. But because we know that soccer is the most important thing in the world, it is the capital of the world as well. And more than the capital, dear friends — I wish and I know, because I can see it, I can feel it already — it has to become the heart of the world. Where the heart is beating, where emotions and love [are] being shared, where children can play in a safe and secure environment like this FIFA arena, which will stay here in Central Park as a legacy of the World Cup. And there will be 25 more — to have 26 — arenas, FIFA arenas for 2026 in New York. And all of this gives to these children who are playing there in the background. And we probably would wish all of us to be there rather than standing here in a suit, [to] be there in shorts and playing. We'll give to these kids a moment to play in a safe environment, in a secure environment, to share emotions and feelings with their teammates from New York and from all over the world, and to be happy.
We will celebrate here in New York with the biggest fan party ever at the World Cup final with many other fan parties around the city, with an incredible halftime show that we put together for the first time in almost 100 years of FIFA World Cups, produced by Global Citizen as well, curated by Chris Martin from Coldplay, with Shakira, Madonna, [and] BTS performing. Everything is done and will be done to make everyone enjoy and be happy. And everything that we do as well, we do it of course from here but for the entire world. We are investing in soccer everywhere, in football, in every one of the 211 countries, which are part of FIFA, in order to give to these children the right and the opportunity to dream, to dream to become a football legend, a soccer legend. And I'm very honored and proud to pass now the floor to one of the greatest legends ever of our game, who as a child had a dream to play football and to become what he became. He did not play in a World Cup, but it is as if he won many World Cups because he won in his performances the hearts of millions and millions of people, not just in Liberia, but all over the world. Thank you very much for listening to me, and now I pass the floor to the great George Weah.
George Weah: Madame Kathy Hochul, governor of the state of New York; Mr. Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York City; Mr. Gianni Infantino, FIFA president; Mr. Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizens; members of the FIFA player partners; other dignitaries here, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. I would like to express thanks to Mayor Mamdani and the people of New York for hosting the FIFA arena here at the historic Central Park in New York City. The FIFA arena is a global project being executed on the leadership of President Infantino and the FIFA family that is providing a safe and durable platform for young people [from] all walks of life [to] develop skills and play the beautiful game. Let me commend President Infantino for such a project that continues to make [an] impact throughout the world. It is my belief, Mayor Mamdani, that given its diversity, the city of New York will be [a] great host for the Central Park FIFA arena, and will allow young people from all backgrounds to play and enjoy football, or soccer as you call it here.
Football, or soccer, is more than just a game. It is a way of life for billions of players, officials, and fans all around the world. Our game is the best and most beautiful game in the world. However, for us to make it even more beautiful, we all must work very hard to kick racism out of football. We have an obligation to do this not just for ourselves but for the sake of humanity. May I extend thanks to all of you here today, and may we all have a great FIFA World Cup in the next few weeks.
I want to say to my colleagues, the FIFA Player Panel, for their work to make sure that racism is out of this game. I heard my good friend say, from the level I play, I did not play a World Cup. But it's good. Sometimes you don't have it all. But you must do what you can do to encourage other people to also lead. So, those that play [in the] World Cup, they are my friends. I decided not to play for any country, but to play for my country. Today, my son is playing for the United States, because he made a decision. And we must respect people decisions because it's good for them. So, I'm glad — but I got a lot of friends that play World Cup — and I just want you to know that everyone has a chance, and I may use up my chance to play for Liberia. I'm happy. And I want you to allow me to bring Mr. Hugh [up to] the podium, so he can express his view. Thank you very much and good to see you.
Hugh Evans, Cofounder and CEO, Global Citizen: Good morning, everyone. My name is Hugh Evans from Global Citizen. I wanna start by acknowledging Governor Kathy Hochul. I want to acknowledge Mayor Zohran Mamdani. I want to acknowledge FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and Gianni, we all wish you the best over the coming weeks you're about to embark upon. I think he deserves a huge round of applause. I'd like to acknowledge New York-New Jersey Host Committee CEO Alex Lazry, Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura, and I'd also like to acknowledge Betsy Smith. Thank you for your leadership, and [to] FIFA legend, George Weah.
For the past 14 years, Global Citizen has been honored to call the Great Lawn of Central Park our home, and we are thrilled to be presenting the World Cup Watch Party in partnership with the city, in partnership [with] the state, [and] in partnership with FIFA as we seek to create the world's biggest watch party for the world's biggest match. On July 19, 50,000 New Yorkers will be here — well, more precisely on the Great Lawn of Central Park. And as Governor Hochul said, we are gonna have the greatest LED screens you've ever seen — three of the largest ever to be in Central Park, with immersive sound so that everyone can experience this all together, united for this historic occasion. But what is so important, and Mayor Mamdami referenced this, is that most importantly, this is entirely free — free for New Yorkers [and] free for people to embark upon and enjoy this celebration together.
So, starting from Thursday this week, the way you can earn tickets is you go to globalcitizen.org/watchparty. You take a simple action, and you enter the lottery to be part of the 50,000 people on the Great Lawn of Central Park. The World Cup — and especially the final — is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate together. And along with the halftime show that Gianni Infantino referenced — which will feature Shakira, Madonna, BTS, and all of it — together with the watch party, is in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. This is a fund that President Infantino and I established about a year ago, with the goal of raising $100 million for kids' education around the world by the time of the World Cup final. And I'm so proud to tell you that the street soccer kids behind you were some of the first to receive a grant of $250,000 from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund to support their work. But I'm also really excited to announce that as of today, we've raised $50 million for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. This will enable us to support grassroots organizations all over the world, thanks to the leadership of President Infantino in FIFA. So, I hope you'll all join us on July 19 on the Great Lawn of Central Park. This is gonna be a truly historic occasion free for all New Yorkers. And with that, it is my great honor to welcome the CEO of the New York-New Jersey Host Committee, Alex Lasry. Thank you.
Alex Lasry, CEO of FIFA World Cup 2026™ NYNJ: Thank you so much Hugh. Thank you Governor Hochul, Mayor Mamdani, President Infantino, President Weah, Betsy Smith [and] Parks Commissioner Tricia. And I also want to acknowledge Julie Coker from New York City Tourism, who has been an incredible partner throughout all of this. And also, you know, JT, he's got a big couple of months ahead of him at US soccer, but we are looking forward to watching, the US men's national team in the final while we're all on the Great Lawn celebrating. So, no pressure, JT, but, [we are] looking forward. There's not a lot that I can say that hasn't already been said, so I'll try to make it quick.
As I know everyone is here baking in the beautiful sunny weather, but in just a few short days, we will be welcoming the world to our shores and to this incredible region. We are expecting over a million people and over $3 billion of economic impact, and that starts with events like this. The fact that we are going to be able to provide an experience whether you're inside the stadium or outside — one is that is rivaled by each other. The free fan fests across the five boroughs of New York City is our way of trying to ensure that everyone who is coming here to be part of the World Cup is going to get an incredible, affordable and accessible experience. This is our chance to show the world that if you want to have the greatest sports and entertainment event that anyone has ever seen, you want to do it right here in our region. This is the capital of the world, and if you are going to play the world's game, you want it do it here.
For just a little perspective on what we're expecting for the World Cup final, the last World Cup final was viewed by the same amount of people as the last thirteen Super Bowls combined, so if football is America’s sport, football is the world’s sport, and we are very excited to welcome the world to our shores into our region, and in particular, right here to Central Park for the World Cup final. You know, as the mayor said, I think our hope especially also with a FIFA Arena being here in Central Park is that hopefully, the next great men's or women's national team player will be standing here [and] in 30, 40, 50 years [talk] about their experience and how their road to a World Cup championship started right here at this FIFA arena in Central Park. That is why we do this. It's why we're trying to make sure that this is such an incredible experience and why we are all working so hard for the people of New York and the world who are going to be coming here and experiencing all that New York and New Jersey have to offer. So, I want to thank everyone for all of the work in putting this on. I also want to think our friends on the other side of the river — Governor Sherrill and her team for all that they're doing in partnering with all of us to make sure that this is an experience unlike any other. So, thank you guys. We cannot wait for the World Cup to kick off in just a few short days, and for us to welcome the world to the greatest region in the world. And with that, I'm excited to welcome up the Parks commissioner, Tricia.
Commissioner Tricia Shimamura, Department of Parks and Recreation: Good morning, everyone. My name is Tricia Shimamura, and I am so proud to be the New York City Parks commissioner. Thank you, Mayor Mamdani; Governor Hochul; President Infantino; Julie Coker from New York City Tourism; and our friends, of course, Betsy Smith and her team at Central Park Conservancy; and to all of our speakers for being here to celebrate this mini-pitch. Central Park has always been the heart of New York City, and today it becomes the premier destination for the beautiful game. But this gorgeous new mini-pitch is just the beginning of how New York City Parks is celebrating the World Cup across all five boroughs. Just last week, we announced that starting June 11, New York City Parks is extending field lighting by an extra hour until 11 p.m. at 50 locations this summer. Fueled by the excitement of the Knicks playoff run and the countdown to the World Cup, this pilot program will deliver more than 4,000 additional hours of evening play on our soccer fields, basketball courts and multi-use athletic fields across the city. This gives New Yorkers a safe, lit space to come together and stay active long after sunset. And it doesn't stop there.
We are bringing communities together this World Cup period with free soccer clinics, giving young New Yorker a safe place to play, learn and grow. Our popular Movies under the Stars series is hosting special soccer-themed screenings, bringing popular soccer movies to our neighborhood parks. And later this month, we are taking this action to the sand with our annual Ocean Beach Soccer Tournament on Staten Island. It's a two-day, fast-paced festival with music, food and high-energy beach soccer for players of all ages. From the sand in Staten Island to this exciting new pitch right here in Central Park, the city is ready to host the World Cup, and New York City is proud to be working alongside our so many partners to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Thank you to everyone who made this pitch reality. It is time to play some soccer. Thank you. Thank you so much to all of our speakers.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: So, FIFA President Infantino has been very, very, very widely criticized for his handling of the World Cup with these sky-high ticket prices that leave them pretty much inaccessible to 99 percent of New Yorkers. He's also been criticized for his deference to Trump in this planning. And he's being investigated by two attorney generals in New York and New Jersey for the handling of these ticket prices. So, I guess why stand next to him in this rollout? You've even criticized him, although close to a year ago now. So yeah, why associate yourself with him and do you agree with those criticisms of him?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I've made clear that my focus in this World Cup is ensuring that we make this the most affordable and accessible experience for as many New Yorkers as possible. And I'm willing to work with everyone to that end, and I'm appreciative of the fact that we were able to secure the only host city that was able to get a thousand tickets at $50 a piece at a time when so many New Yorkers couldn't even conceive of the possibility of getting to the games themselves. And I had the opportunity of calling a number of those New Yorkers who won that chance, and these are New Yorkers who have dreamed of this moment for their entire lives, and being able to get that price point of $50 with a free round-trip ticket meant that working-class New Yorkers could actually be at this game.
Today's announcement is one that reflects the fact that for all of the focus on the games, what many fans will tell you is the experience of being a fan around the host city is just as important if not more, and so today is a celebration of another place that New Yorkers can play soccer. But also 50,000 people having a chance to watch the final of the World Cup together for free in the most iconic park in the world, I think, is something that deserves to be celebrated and we're excited to share that opportunity with New Yorkers across the five boroughs as we encourage all of them to sign up for the raffle.
Question: We spoke last week with Vijay Dandapani from the Hotel Association. He said World Cup bookings have been lower than expected for months and remain so just over a week before the event starts. Do you have any updated sense of how many visitors were actually going to stay in New York, come to New York from out of the country, [or] stay in New York? Are hotel bookings picking up at the last minute? And any sort of sense of why they've remained so low at this point.
Mayor Mamdani: It is a day-to-day assessment. What I will say is that we found that the closer we get to the tournament itself, the more that bookings increase [and] that there are a large number of fans who will be making their bookings into the first days even of the World Cup itself. And as you heard from the CEO of the New York-New Jersey Host Committee, we are still incredibly excited about the economic opportunity that this presents. And I think it goes back to the fact that sports are not only an integral thing for the spirit of a city but even for the economy of the city. We are seeing with the Knicks, as they're embarking on this historic run, every single home playoff game generates $90 million in economic activity.
And our focus here is to ensure that with the World Cup, the economic activity is spread across the five boroughs. We want this to be an experience that reaches more than 488 restaurants that range not just all across Midtown, but frankly all across the entirety of our city. And we're hopeful as we see us get just a few days away from the kickoff of this tournament. That we will see that excitement also in those who come to visit our city.
Question: Mr. Mayor, last week you and the governor projected confidence about planning around [the] World Cup, but the events around Madison Square Garden suggested that the president's visit kind of caught everybody off guard or prompted some last-minute changes. Can you talk about that and sort of how we're going to avoid other audibles at the last minute?
Mayor Mamdani: So, when it comes to the president's attendance of Game 3 tonight of the finals, the Secret Service and the NYPD determined that the additional security requirements that need to be in place are ones that change our approach for what the finals would be. The good news, however, is that New Yorkers will still have an incredible number of opportunities to watch the Knicks together at watch parties, as has been announced that the Knick's Organization has put together watch parties here in Central Park as well as at Brooklyn Bowl. We've also announced this morning that there will be an additional watch party at Bryan Park for about 5,000 New Yorkers where they can sign up for free starting in about one hour.
And what this all speaks to is that we are incredibly prepared for a summer that will be memorable for so many reasons. We have the Knicks in our first final since 1999, a chance to win our first championship since 1973. We have a once in a generation opportunity with the World Cup and all of that happening alongside America 250, July 4, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, Pride [and] all of the summer events that so many of us look forward to on an annual basis. And we're excited, we're prepared for this to be a summer not only that is safe and secure but also a summer of fun.
Question: A question about the 50,000 tickets. Is there going to be a cap on Thursday when people can start entering? Is there like a certain amount of number of people who can actually apply for these tickets? Will there be a cutoff like there was previously? When will people be notified? How will they be notified? What are the logistics around this?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I will have our partners at Global Citizen share some of the additional details. What I will say is that the capacity of this watch party is about 52,600. As I've mentioned earlier, 20 percent of these free tickets will be set aside specifically for partners in community service and nonprofits. And now we'll just have Global Citizen share any of the addition details.
Hugh Evans: Thank you, Mayor. So, in answer to your question, New Yorkers have become familiar with the lottery system that Global Citizen has adopted for the last 14 years on the Great Lawn of Central Park. We're going to be doing the same lottery system that we have for the 14 years, where any New Yorker, anyone from New Jersey can enter for free, and all they have to do is read a simple article about the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. And they're automatically entered. That's the fairest way to make sure all New Yorkers can be part of it for free. Does that answer your question?
Question: When will people be notified?
Hugh Evans: So, we will notify people on a rolling basis the same way that we do. So, if you go to globalcitizen.org/watchparty all of the drawers will be announced on the website later today.
Question: Hi, Mr. Mayor. Two quick questions. For your own Knicks tickets, can you tell us who you got them from and how much you paid for them? Number two, I saw the Bloomberg report about the border czar talking about a surge coming to New York City, and I was wondering how much you were made aware of that and if you have any comments on how the city is going to respond.
Mayor Mamdani: On the first question, I bought my tickets for nearly $1,000 from Madison Square Garden. I'll be going to tonight's game three, and I'll be standing for the duration of the game. On the second question, we have heard time and again threats of increases in immigration enforcement across our city. I want to be very clear about the fact that I believe that ICE raids are cruel; they are inhumane; [and] they do nothing to serve in the interest of public safety. I've shared that directly with the president [and] I've shared that in public. It is a feeling that many New Yorkers share and I also do believe that ICE as an entity is one that should be abolished and that we should return to an immigration system that has more humanity at the heart of it.
And as much as this is an off-topic question, we're also discussing the World Cup. The World Cup is supposed to be a celebration of the world as a whole and some of the decisions that we've seen been taken by the federal administration. Be it the denial of visas for journalists from certain countries or the rejection of a visa for a coach of a team, as well as single-day visas for specific foreign national teams. This is anathema to what this tournament is supposed to be about. If we cannot even allow the players, the teams and the journalists covering those teams to come into this city and this country, then it begs a larger question about our commitment to the spirit of this tournament. And we want this to be a tournament that reflects our commitment to us being part of something larger than ourselves and that's the world's game, which everyone should be able to be part of.
Question: Are you going to be meeting with the president while he's here in New York City? And then also, you were saying that you purchased a standing room only ticket. I'm just not familiar. Did you get like a discount from the Garden through that or was that just something you bought online on like Ticketmaster?
Mayor Mamdani: So that's something that I purchased directly from Madison Square Garden. Close to $1,000 was the price of it. And standing room only is just the section that I'll be standing in. When it comes to the president, I don't have any scheduled meetings with the president. However, I'm sure that our conversations will continue about how to serve the city.
Question: Just to follow up, when were the standing room only tickets released? When were you able to purchase them?
Mayor Mamdani: We purchased them directly from the organization itself.
Question: Okay my question is, Commissioner Tisch has announced a very massive security zone outside Madison Square Garden for the president's arrival today. I'm wondering whether you're worried that that infringes on the right to protest. You've often talked a lot about how this is a very important right that people have, and are you worried that somehow it will suppress the ability of New Yorkers to do what they have traditionally done, which is express their displeasure with the president.
Mayor Mamdani: I think, as you've said, the right to protest is one that is innate not only to the spirit of our city but also the laws of our country. And the procedures that are being taken today are ones that honor that right and they also look to ensure that we are providing safety and security for this evening. As we know, what comes with a presidential visit and Secret Service protocols necessitate a different set of preparation than we would otherwise be taking for the finals. And we have seen what our preparation has been thus far. Game four, and hopefully that'll be the end of the finals. We will see a very different set of preparations in the absence of the president's attendance.