New Neighborhood Passport Guides World Cup Fans

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, NYC Tourism + Conventions and Team Wonder on May 13 unveiled the NYC Neighborhood Passport, a citywide program tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup that will send residents and visitors to community groups, public events and neighborhood institutions across the five boroughs. The program will let participants collect artist-designed stamps during the tournament, while a companion events calendar and digital map will point people to free and low-cost programming. City Hall said the effort is part of a broader plan to spread World Cup activity beyond match venues and official fan sites. New York City and New Jersey are scheduled to host eight matches beginning June 13, including the final on July 19. ### When does the passport actually start, and where do people get one? June 11 is the launch date for the passport program, according to Team Wonder and city announcements. Thousands of printed booklets will be available at every branch library in all five boroughs and at select events, Team Wonder said. May 13 was the date Mamdani announced the initiative with NYC Tourism + Conventions and Team Wonder, with support from the New York Community Trust. (nyc.gov) City Hall said the passport is aimed at both visitors arriving for the tournament and New Yorkers already living in the city. ### What do people do with the passport once they have it? (team-wonder.com) Participants will collect stamps from hundreds of community organizations and public events across the city, the mayor’s office said. The sites are meant to include immigrant communities, cultural institutions, small businesses and neighborhood gatherings tied to the tournament. (nyc.gov) Each stamp has been designed by New York City-based artists with global roots, Team Wonder said. The group said the designs reflect both World Cup teams and the city’s own cultural mix, and that stamps will be distributed across designated locations in a way that encourages people to move between neighborhoods. ### How does this connect to the World Cup if matches are in New Jersey? (nyc.gov) MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host all eight matches assigned to the New York-New Jersey region, according to the city’s World Cup playbook. The schedule begins June 13 and includes the final on July 19. Mayor Mamdani said the city wanted the tournament to reach neighborhoods far from the stadium. “The World Cup isn’t just coming to MetLife Stadium. (team-wonder.com) It’s coming to Corona and Flatbush, Astoria and Sunset Park,” he said in the May 13 announcement. ### What else is the city launching alongside the passport? (nyc.gov) NYC Tourism + Conventions is also rolling out a public events calendar and an interactive digital map on nyctourism.com, City Hall said. The city said those tools are intended to help users find free and low-cost programming, local promotions and neighborhood events during the tournament. (nyc.gov) April 16 was the date the city said businesses, organizations and institutions could begin submitting World Cup programming to the public calendar. The same playbook says the New York New Jersey Host Committee has also started a Welcome World Rewards Program for independent businesses. ### Who is behind the program besides City Hall? Team Wonder is the outside partner helping run both the passport and a broader storytelling campaign called “Already Home.” The group said the campaign is operating in more than a dozen U.S. cities and is designed to gather stories about what the World Cup means to residents outside stadiums. (nyc.gov) The mayor’s office said passport participants will also be able to share stories as part of that nationwide initiative. (nyc.gov) Team Wonder said New York’s version is built around the idea that the tournament will be experienced in “300+ NYC neighborhoods” as much as at official venues. ### What should New Yorkers and visitors watch for next? (team-wonder.com) June 11 is the next concrete milestone: that is when passport booklets are due to appear at library branches citywide and at select events. June 13 is the start of the New York-New Jersey match schedule, according to the city’s World Cup hosting page, and nyctourism.com is the site the city named for the event calendar and interactive map. (team-wonder.com) (nyc.gov)