The 2026 World Cup is already humming with anticipation on Long Island, where soccer enthusiasts are dusting off jerseys, booking travel and planning gatherings as the globe’s premier tournament draws nearer to home.
A Family Tradition in Floral Park
Michael McGuire, a 63‑year‑old lifelong soccer devotee from Floral Park, embodies the generational pull of the competition. He has attended the 1994 World Cup on home soil and will now travel to several matches in Qatar, sharing the experience with his wife, his brother Andy and his son James.
Matt Tyrrel, 53, also calls Floral Park home but only became a serious follower of the sport around 2017. This summer he plans to watch the France versus Iraq fixture at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, a venue that will also host the U.S. match against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Family Gatherings at MetLife
Shawn Kelleher, 44, will bring his family to the England versus Panama game at MetLife Stadium, a venue that will open its doors with a Brazil‑Morocco clash. His daughter’s admiration for Marcus Rashford has nudged his own support toward England, adding a personal layer to the communal excitement.
New York State is capitalizing on the buzz by staging watch parties at Stony Brook University for the United States game and the Canada‑Bosnia and Herzegovina encounter, while local venues in East Rutherford and Philadelphia prepare for the influx of fans.
Tyrrel notes that soccer’s footprint in the United States is expanding, with more people playing, watching and discussing the sport than ever before. The surge mirrors the growing number of youth leagues and the increasing visibility of European clubs on American television.
For many Long Islanders, the World Cup is more than a tournament; it is a chance to reconnect with memories of past tournaments, to celebrate national pride and to forge new friendships across borders, all while the eyes of the world turn toward the matches that will be played on familiar soil.