World Cup Passport program invites New Yorkers to explore city’s cultures, one stamp at a time
It's an initiative designed to encourage residents and visitors to explore neighborhoods, cultural institutions and businesses throughout the five boroughs during the tournament.
More Stories
New Yorkers won't need a ticket to a World Cup match to experience the excitement surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
City officials and community organizations unveiled the World Cup '26 New York City Neighborhood Passport Program. It's an initiative designed to encourage residents and visitors to explore neighborhoods, cultural institutions and businesses throughout the five boroughs during the tournament.
The Passport Program launches June 11, the opening day of the World Cup. Participants can pick up passports at more than 220 public libraries across New York City and collect stamps at participating locations.
For the first time, organizers also revealed the stamps that will go inside the passports. The stamps were created by artists from around the world and can be collected at businesses, cultural sites and other destinations across the city.
The program aims to introduce visitors to the communities, cultures and landmarks that help define New York City's neighborhoods.
"There’s going to be a lot more places that are going to be doing free food, free music," one organizer said during the program's launch event.
More than 250 locations are participating, including the Bronx Music Hall, the Bronx Zoo and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Betsy Maclean, a program developer with Team Wonder, said the passport offers participants a chance to discover a variety of destinations throughout the city.
"Go to anywhere from the Bronx Museum to BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn to Mercado," Maclean said.
For some organizers, the World Cup carries personal significance.
Perla Silva, who grew up in Bensonhurst and immigrated from Mexico, said she is eager to welcome visitors to the borough she has called home for decades.
"An immigrant from Mexico, I’ve been living in Brooklyn for over 30 years. I’m very excited to watch all the tourists in the place I grew up in," Silva said.
Yatziri Tovar of Make the Road New York, who grew up in the Bronx, said soccer has long been woven into the fabric of communities across the borough.
"For me, living in the Bronx, I've watched my loved ones up in Van Cortlandt Park playing soccer every Sunday throughout the Bronx, so I'm really, really excited," Tovar said.
Organizers hope the program will help connect visitors with neighborhoods beyond the World Cup venues while highlighting the city's diverse cultures and local businesses.
Passports will be available beginning June 11 to coincide with the opening day of the World Cup.
