FIFA published pictures of a celebratory event it held at the famous Grand Central Station in New York City, to celebrate the countdown to the 2026 World Cup final, which is scheduled to be held next Sunday at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford.
FIFA decorated the historic station with the flags of the 48 countries participating in the tournament, including Spain and England, in addition to displaying the World Cup in front of the famous four-faced clock in the station, in a scene that received widespread interaction on social media platforms.
The station’s departure boards were also programmed to display the start times of the final match in the timing of cities around the world representing the participating countries, including Madrid, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Rabat, Toronto, Auckland and Mexico City, in reference to the global nature of the tournament.
FIFA explained that the event reflects how the final match will begin in one moment, New York New Jersey time, while fans around the world follow it in the local time of each country.
It is noteworthy that the final match next Sunday will bring together the teams of Spain and Argentina, after the England team exited the tournament after losing in the semi-finals to Argentina 2-1, to play in the third place match against France.