{"id":17997,"date":"2026-05-22T19:03:43","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T17:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ilnumero1.it\/en\/?p=17997"},"modified":"2026-05-22T19:03:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T17:03:46","slug":"soccer-returns-to-the-streets-in-new-york-mamdani-announces-soccer-streets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ilnumero1.it\/en\/soccer-returns-to-the-streets-in-new-york-mamdani-announces-soccer-streets\/","title":{"rendered":"Soccer Returns to the Streets in New York: Mamdani Announces \u201cSoccer Streets\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Italiano<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are stories that simply talk about sports. And then there are others that, through sports, tell a different story about cities, childhood, and community. What is happening in New York with the \u201cSoccer Streets\u201d project probably belongs to the second category.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The administration led by Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced an initiative that will bring soccer to 50 school streets across the city\u2019s five boroughs, transforming areas normally occupied by traffic into spaces dedicated to play, connection, and collective participation. Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the streets outside schools will be closed to cars and opened to children: improvised mini pitches, pickup games, drills, creative workshops, involved families, and neighborhoods that, for a few hours, will completely change their atmosphere. It is a decision that stands out above all for the cultural message behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mayor\u2019s Words<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After taking part in the activities organized outside the school, the mayor spoke to reporters: \u201cYou know, I think sometimes people think about the World Cup only in the context of the games that we\u2019re going to be hosting here in New York and New Jersey. But the truth is that there\u2019s an energy, a magic around the city when a tournament like this arrives. And we want children across the city to experience that magic directly in their own schools. These 50 public schools where we\u2019re bringing Soccer Streets are among those least likely to have access to a park or any outdoor space. And now the street outside the school will become a place they can truly enjoy. They can learn the game, discover murals, and understand what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves. What you saw, while I was trying to catch my breath, were children playing together. And that\u2019s what we want this moment to be: not just a period when people turn on the television to watch matches, but an opportunity for young people to imagine themselves, one day, out there on that field decades from now.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one of many schools where we want to transform the street around the building. We already have the Department of Transportation\u2019s Open Streets program, and this initiative builds directly on the success of that project.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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