New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and New York Mayor Eric Adams each addressed fans at the event, showing their regional pride and expressing their enthusiasm for the world’s most popular sport.
“I have to admit, as a lifelong fan of ‘the beautiful game,’ I’ve got soccer fever,” Governor Murphy said. “I want to give FIFA a big thank you for bringing the World Cup back to New Jersey and New York. From the very beginning, our region has been at the heart of American soccer. We’re ready for the world’s biggest event. Big events are in our blood, they’re in our DNA, and they’re what we do best.”
“New York is the greatest city in the world, so it’s only right that we’re hosting the biggest sporting event in the world,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “With over 200 languages and dialects spoken here and every one of the 48 countries that will qualify for the World Cup represented right here in the five boroughs, our city and region represent the diversity of the world’s sport. New Yorkers can’t wait to welcome fans from across the globe to our city to experience our world class sights, bright lights, and our unique, diverse culture.”
Thursday’s ceremony featured a healthy dose of the glitz and glamor characteristic of the United States’ largest and most famous metro region. Massive Times Square billboards displayed the newly unveiled New York/New Jersey 2026 official logo, while the iconic New Year’s Eve ‘time ball’ displayed a countdown to “2026.” This evening, landmarks across the region – including Vessel at Hudson Yards, One Vanderbilt, Goethals Bridge and the Oculus – will light up Lady Liberty green.
“Today’s launch is the culmination of an exciting collaboration between FIFA and the 16 Host Cities,” Colin Smith, FIFA COO World Cup, said. “Months ago, we embarked on a creative journey together to ensure that the colours, cultures, people and places synonymous with each city were ingrained in every element of the city brand identities. We’re all thrilled to be able to reveal this unique artwork to the world along with our country and city partners and can’t wait to see them applied to channels and locations intended to excite and welcome fans for 26.”
Last night, an unveiling of the tournament-wide Official Brand for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ took place in Los Angeles, with a Griffith Observatory ceremony welcoming legends of the game and show business.
FIFA’s Official Brand is accompanied by 16 individual Host City brands launched today across the US, Mexico and Canada. Each Host City brand – New York/New Jersey among them – embodies its own world-renowned culture and heritage, in which millions of fans will immerse themselves when kick-off comes in 2026.
To celebrate the launch, FIFA, Host Cities, broadcasters and brands commissioned portraits of faces and places that tell their FIFA World Cup™ stories, featuring the landmarks, icons, and well-known buildings that await fans in 2026. New York/New Jersey’s portraits included local heroes from the Newark Fire Department, youth soccer players from school-based programs, and fan groups from the Jersey Shore to Brooklyn.
FIFA World Cup 2026™ will be the biggest sporting event ever – three Host Countries, 16 Host Cities, 48 teams, 104 matches uniting an entire continent to showcase a momentous new tournament format, while keeping the exciting four-team group stage phase to ensure the ultimate football spectacle.
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