New York, United States – Bleary-eyed fans began gathering from the early hours of Sunday morning in Midtown Manhattan — and across the wider city — ahead of the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.
Banging drums, linking arms and breaking into spontaneous chants, fans expressed hope, and some nerves, that their teams would give them a reason to party into the night.
Nicolas Oliver, 21, a Spanish citizen currently living in Quebec, said he was “feeling good” ahead of the match.
“But I really hope that we win today,” he said.
“The last time we won, I was five years old,” he said, referring to 2010. “I remember perfectly that day. I would really like to feel that same sensation — everyone joined, and we put aside all those differences that we have and lived together without problems, for one day at least.”
“I’m very far away from home. And being here with a lot of Spanish people, it feels like home again.”
Seventeen-year-old Argentina fan Mohamed Zidan, who is originally from Hama, Syria, but lives in Springfield, Massachusetts, decided to make a whirlwind trip to NYC for the match.
“I just got here six hours ago. This is my first time in New York. We’re going to walk around and eat. The city’s too big!”
“I’m very excited. We’re gonna watch and go to Times Square to celebrate with the fans,” he said.
Paola Belmonta, 23, who is from southern Spain, is also experiencing the city for the first time.
“It’s been really good but really stressful,” said Belmonta, who is currently living in Virginia for the summer.
She was confident her favourite player, 23-year-old midfielder Pedro, would carry the team to victory.
“Spain is going to take this!” she said.
Fifty-year-old Alex Roma, who is originally from Argentina but has lived in Washington, DC, for 20 years, wasn’t so sure.
“Spain is not an easy team, but neither is Argentina,” he said.
“We showed a lot of heart in the last few minutes,” Roma noted. “To the last breath, we’re gonna fight and try to win.”
Still, he didn’t expect to be here this time around.
“I didn’t expect [Argentina’s Lionel Messi] to play at this level,” he said.
“I thought he was just going to do the relaxed thing, play a few minutes in the second half. But he’s been amazing. He’s showing that he’s the best player in this World Cup at 39 years old, and that’s unbelievable.”
‘The World Cup belongs to New Yorkers’
The tournament, held across three countries, has also offered an opportunity for New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani to display his progressive, populist messaging on an international stage. It was a role he appeared to relish.
In a city already ebullient following the New York Knicks’ National Basketball Association championship, the democratic socialist and first Muslim mayor of New York vowed a World Cup that prioritised accessibility for locals.
That included access to reduced-price tickets, deals with local restaurants to offer low-price meals, and ubiquitous public watch parties in all five boroughs.
“We said from the beginning that the World Cup belongs to New Yorkers,” said Mamdani, who has popped up at watch parties across the city, including at the Rikers Island jail during the Argentina-England semifinal match.
“In the most international city on earth, you didn’t need thousands of dollars to be part of the world’s game,” Mamdani said.
The emphasis on inclusivity among New York’s staggeringly diverse population — where at least 700 distinct languages are spoken — offered yet another counterpoint to the at-times caustic messaging of the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Trump’s hardline immigration policies made travel for citizens of some countries difficult, or impossible. Even officials and team support staff weren’t spared, with Somali referee Omar Artan denied entry to the country.
The Trump administration’s restrictions on Iran’s national team, which saw their base camp relocated to Mexico and granted them only brief stays in the US for their matches, have also attracted the ire of some fans.
Trump arrived in New York City on Friday, appearing alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino at his Trump Tower in Manhattan.
Both he and Mamdani were set to attend Sunday’s final at the New York New Jersey Stadium, renamed from MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey near New York.