When London McNally steps onto a soccer field in Newark, she does not just see teammates and opponents. She sees flags, languages, families, neighborhoods and the kind of joy that can travel across cultures without needing translation.
This summer, that feeling is coming closer to home.
For McNally, a 16-year-old Newark resident and longtime soccer player, FIFA World Cup 2026 is more than a global tournament. It is a chance for her city to show the world what she already knows: In Newark, soccer is a shared language.
“Having the World Cup come so close to home feels like a dream,” McNally said. “One of the things I love most about soccer is how it brings people together. Growing up in such a diverse city, I’ve made friends from many different cultures and backgrounds, and it’s exciting to see people proudly representing where they come from while celebrating together.”
For McNally, that is what makes the World Cup feel so powerful in Newark.
“You don’t have to speak the same language to understand passion, pride or joy,” she said.
As World Cup matches draw international fans to the New York-New Jersey region, Newark is preparing its own welcome — one rooted in youth soccer, neighborhood pride, global food, live events, local businesses and the city’s deep cultural diversity.
Across Newark, that welcome is beginning to take shape in parks, restaurants, cultural corridors and downtown gathering spaces. The city is using the World Cup moment to invite residents and visitors into a celebration that stretches beyond the stadiums and into the neighborhoods where soccer, food, music and culture already bring people together.
A family could start the day watching a youth soccer tournament in Ivy Hill, spend the afternoon exploring the city’s restaurants, shops or arts spaces, and end the evening cheering with fellow fans and neighbors at a World Cup watch party. For visitors arriving through Newark Liberty International Airport or Newark Penn Station, the city offers more than convenience. It offers a sense of place.
In neighborhoods like Ivy Hill, that sense of place is already visible. Through grant-funded programming supported by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and administered by Choose New Jersey, the Ivy Hill Block Association has organized a series of World Cup-related activities designed to bring residents together and connect young people to opportunity.
The programming includes a youth soccer tournament, a Juneteenth celebration and watch party, a community youth combine, and a skills-and-drills clinic. The events center on soccer, but they also create space for food, music, community gatherings and conversations about education, workforce development and civic life.
“This is not just about the moment of the World Cup,” Ivy Hill Block Association President Dwayne Wilkins said. “This is a moment of many moments [to come] for the city of Newark.”
Downtown, Newark is building on that same spirit through “Kick It in Newark,” a campaign led by the Newark Alliance that invites visitors to experience the city before, during and after World Cup matches. The campaign highlights Newark as a global city where cultures from around the world already meet within a few walkable miles.
The campaign includes stay-and-play hotel packages and a digital passport experience that guides visitors through neighborhood routes, including family outings, stops at diverse-owned businesses, girls’ night out recommendations, wellness-focused experiences and more.
“As the world comes to our region, ‘Kick It in Newark’ invites visitors to experience the city through its global cuisine, local businesses, art, culture and vibrant neighborhoods,” Newark Alliance Chief Marketing Officer Ashley Mays said.
“Newark offers a sense of place, with direct access from Newark Liberty International Airport and convenient transit connections that make it easy to explore both the city and the excitement surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026. We look forward to welcoming visitors to celebrate with us and share everything that makes Newark special.”
That invitation now has a central gathering place: The Newark Fan Village.
The Fan Village, launched in the Ironbound section as the first, free FIFA-related activation in New Jersey, is a 39-day World Cup fan experience in the former Iberia restaurant parking lot off Ferry Street. The outdoor destination gives residents and visitors a place to watch matches, celebrate their teams and experience the culture of one of Newark’s most recognizable neighborhoods.
For the city, the opportunity extends beyond soccer.
Newark is home to Portuguese bakeries and West African restaurants, to Caribbean music venues and South Asian markets, and much more. The World Cup offers a chance to drive foot traffic to small businesses, introduce visitors to neighborhood corridors and connect international attention to the people and places that shape the city every day.
As a regional transportation hub, Newark is positioned to welcome both international visitors and residents traveling across the region for FIFA-related events. City leaders and cultural partners are working to connect the tournament to existing arts, education, and community efforts, while supporting small businesses and expanding activity in downtown and neighborhood corridors.
“We are really trying to promote that the city is safe, welcoming, and that you have the ability and accessibility to walk around and visit these activations and these programs,” Victoria Walker, Director of the Arts and Education District, said.
As preparations continue, Newark’s message stays consistent: the World Cup may bring international attention to the region, but the spirit of the game already lives in the city’s fields, restaurants, neighborhoods and gathering places.
Cheryl McCants and Ingrid Austin are part of the Newark News Bureau, which provides occasional content to BINJE.
