Just before the United States suffered a crushing 4-1 loss to Belgium in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani found himself at the center of social media conversation for an unrelated soccer post.
Mamdani shared a video highlighting NYC Open Play, the city's overnight pickup soccer initiative, writing, "Now presenting 24/7 soccer fields in the city that never sleeps. Find your next late-night game at nycopenplay.com."
The timing of the post quickly caught people’s attention, with many joking that it was the mayor encouraging New Yorkers to get back on the pitch after the U.S. was eliminated from the tournament, despit ehim posting it before the match.
Although the reactions centered on the USMNT's loss, the initiative itself wasn't new. Mamdani officially launched NYC Open Play on June 12 as part of New York City's World Cup festivities, offering free overnight pickup soccer in every borough through July 18.
The program, created in partnership with New York City FC, NYC Footy, NYC Parks and the Hudson River Park Trust, allows adults 18 and older to play pickup soccer throughout the night at designated fields across the city.
At the announcement, Mamdani said some of the world's best soccer isn't played only in stadiums but also on neighborhood fields, adding that he wanted every New Yorker to have an opportunity to participate in the excitement surrounding the World Cup, whether by playing or cheering others on.
Each location features multiple small-sided pitches equipped with goals, cones and soccer balls, while NYC Footy staff organize teams throughout the night. New York City FC also supports the initiative with youth clinics, community programming and giveaways at rotating sites.
Participating fields are located at Chelsea Waterside in Manhattan, Astoria Park in Queens, Calvert Vaux Park in Brooklyn, Soundview Park in the Bronx and Fairview Park on Staten Island. Games generally begin around 10:30 p.m. and can continue into the early morning hours, with security personnel stationed at each location.
Sunday's post wasn't the only major soccer announcement from City Hall this week. Mamdani also revealed that NJ/NY Gotham FC will relocate to Etihad Park beginning in 2028, sharing the venue with New York City FC.
"Their new stadium, Etihad Park, the first dedicated soccer stadium anywhere in the five boroughs, matches Gotham FC's standard of excellence," said Mamdani. "For decades to come, the people will now be able to watch Gotham FC show off the world's game in the world's borough."
Check out more reactions to Mamdani’s tweet below.
