New York/New Jersey FIFA World Cup 2026 logo unveiled in Times Square
NEW YORK - There was a kickoff celebration Thursday in anticipation of New York and New Jersey hosting a World Cup match in 2026.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy were in Times Square to unveil the official logo and brand for the FIFA World Cup.
The World Cup logo is an important symbol. It's designed to capture the spirit of the host country and the excitement of the tournament.
Reaction was mixed.
"Looks bad," one person said. "These logos used to be, like, really cool and representative of their home nation and something or some cultural something. And this is, like, first day of college Photoshop."
"Nice. I do like it," another person said.
"I'm so sorry. I'm gonna start laughing and be like, I hope you're not too attached to this. Like, great try," another person said. "The black background makes the gold pop more. I like that part."
"We are 26" and "We are NY-NJ" will be the official brand when New York and New Jersey host World Cup games. The finals location has yet to be announced, but it could be at MetLife Stadium.
When it was in Brazil, the logo was inspired by Carnival. The simplicity of the Mexico World Cup made that logo iconic. Even the last time it was in America had a patriotic feel.
"You don't want to jumble it to where you can't, you know, tell what you're looking at ... I would try to fit, like, an American flag or something," one person said.
"It's a good effort. Hopefully this is draft one, you know what I'm saying?" another person said.
We expect the games to be a little more exciting than the logo.
"By bringing the World Cup here, the biggest stage on the globe. There's no place like New York-New Jersey. We are going to bring it here. Eight games," Adams said.
"The mayor just said it, we think we're gonna get at least eight games. That's eight Super Bowls in six weeks," Murphy said.
"I've got soccer fever," 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," Adams said. "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."
As part of the ceremonies unveiling the new logo, several landmarks across New York including the Vessel at Hudson Yards and the Oculus will be lit up green Thursday night.
The 2026 World Cup will be played in 16 host cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and will feature 48 teams.
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