Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Celebrates the Start of the World Cup at the Opening of NYNJ World Cup 2026 Queens Group Stage HQ

Governor Kathy Hochul today celebrated the start of the FIFA World Cup at the opening of the NYNJ World Cup 2026 Queens Group Stage HQ. Governor Hochul was joined at this event by State and local leaders, FIFA World Cup NYNJ Host Committee CEO Alex Lasry, and New York soccer fans to celebrate the inaugural World Cup Fan Fest.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

There has never been a better time to be a sports fan in New York City in history. And you know what I'm talking about. It's the memories, the magic, the momentum of the miracle at MSG last night. Let's start with the Knicks. Go Knicks all the way. The Knicks are going all the way. So now we go from Knicks to kicks.

So my friends, New York isn't just hosting the World Cup, New York is the World Cup. You heard it here. You know, we're just beginning to count the minutes until the World Cup games begin. Starting today, Mexico versus South Africa in Mexico City. To kick things off, I'm here at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center, one of the most iconic sports venues in the city. We're here because we know that one million people will be descending from around the globe, coming to our communities to witness this magic as well. We want to make sure that every single person, everybody, has a chance to experience this. If you don't have enough money for a ticket, you need to be right here, or at one of our many Fan Fests that we're doing around the city. I thank Mayor Mamdani for his support for this, as well as all the people involved.

But I also want to say this: I want to make sure it happens all over New York, so we're having Fan Fests everywhere, the boroughs, upstate, downstate, because no one should be denied the chance to get together for this once in a generation experience.

We know how expensive life is for families these days. We know exactly how hard it is for families to put together the money they would need for a ticket. But cheering for the team you love shouldn't happen alone in your living room, right? This is a team sport. A whole community has to come together and celebrate.

As I said, we partnered with the city, and I want to thank again the Mayor and his leaders here today. We have Dr. Helen Landaverde, the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. Maya Handa will be joining us, the World Cup Czar- I want to thank her.

I want to thank my team, Justin Brannan, for being an incredible asset of ours to work on this special event. My colleagues in government, Senator Jessica Ramos, we're in her district. Assemblymember Lorinda Hooks, and of course our borough president, Donovan Richards. And also Council member Shanel Thomas-Henry is here as well. I'll also be introducing in a minute the leader of our effort, Alex Lasry, the CEO of the FIFA World Cup New York/New Jersey Host Committee. Alex is amazing. You want to get something done in a world-class way, you call on Alex Lasry, and we are the beneficiaries of his talent and his dedication for this event.

So where else to watch the World Cup than in the world's borough? That's why we're here. We are creating a special event because we love our fans. Our fans are so loyal, here and around the world. A special event every day starting today until June 27th. The whole family should come here. You'll have huge screens for watching the matches, food vendors, immersive experiences, over 40 experiences from New York legends ranging from Busta Rhymes to Wyclef Jean is going to be here as well.

So how about that everybody? I cannot wait to see the fans fill this stadium and their faces painted with their country's colors and all their swag and their scarves. And I cannot wait for that moment when Team USA scores and the whole city erupts. For a soccer mom like me, it is a dream come true.

So it's billions of fans, soccer fans. This is the most watched sport, the most played sport around the world, and maybe you can't do it anywhere but right here. This is where the world is watching. And you know this because soccer crosses generations. You could be a grandpa kicking a ball with your grandchild down the street. You could be on a youth sports program- we're building more soccer fields throughout our city and our state in underserved communities so everyone has the chance to experience. But I want you to know, I know why it's a beautiful game. It is a sport of the people. It's a sport of the people, to have a chance to come together and unite behind this common cause.

At a time when there's so much dissension in our world, this is a moment that we should treasure and unify all of us in the love of this beautiful sport. So everyone is welcome here. We want to see you here at all of our Fan Fests. So let's get the magic started, everybody. Let's bring it home. Ladies and gentlemen, the head of this amazing effort, Alex Lasry.