Being in New York during the World Cup is unlike anything else. The tournament is not just happening inside stadiums. It is unfolding across streets, subway stations, giant screens, fan zones and spontaneous gatherings everywhere. As a guest of Uber Türkiye, I also had the chance to experience one of the most important behind-the-scenes elements of such a massive global event: mobility and the new Uber Travel experience.
In tournaments of this scale, the real challenge is not only the match itself, but getting to and from the stadium smoothly. Especially across the New York-New Jersey corridor, transportation can easily become the hidden drama of the day. Yet our journey to the stadium was seamless and surprisingly effortless.
Funda Karayel attends the Brazil vs. Morocco FIFA World Cup match, New Jersey, U.S., June 13, 2026. (Photo by Funda Karayel)
Before heading to the Brazil vs Morocco match, I learned the story behind Uber Travel from Jodie Auster, Global Head of Airports & Travel, and Adib Roumani, Head of Engineering for Uber Travel. One of the most interesting features they introduced is “Choose Your Team,” which allows fans to select their national team inside the app and customize the vehicle icon with their country’s flag. This feature is available in the United States, Canada and major global cities. Another innovation introduced during the World Cup is Uber Max. Designed for large groups, it allows up to 14 passengers to travel together in a single vehicle, making stadium transfers more social and efficient.
We started the day with breakfast in SoHo Sadelles before heading toward the New York-New Jersey Stadium. Brazil’s presence at the World Cup always carries weight the most decorated team in history and famously undefeated in opening matches. But history shifted in this tournament. Against Morocco, Brazil drew, marking a moment that felt like a quiet break in tradition. I witnessed not just a match, but a small rewrite of football history.
Most unusual moments
Some moments from this tournament already feel unforgettable. Knicks fans celebrating a basketball championship somehow set World Cup transport buses on fire in the chaos of city celebrations, proving once again that New York never separates its sports emotions neatly. A goalkeeper left his net exposed during a Brazil match and Morocco capitalized instantly football’s simplest lesson delivered at the highest level. In a Swiss training camp, a snake appeared, turning preparation sessions into unexpected wildlife encounters.
A general view of the stadium before the Brazil vs Morocco FIFA World Cup match, New Jersey, U.S., June 13, 2026. (Photo by Funda Karayel)
Some fans arrived with valid tickets but struggled at border entry points, while others mistakenly traveled to the wrong stadium entirely, learning the scale of North America the hard way. Brazilian supporters transformed stadium sections into carnival grounds, turning matches into rhythmic celebrations rather than quiet observation. Across the first week, a recurring question emerged: not “what is the score?” but “which country is this stadium even in?”
In a World Cup hosted across multiple countries, confusion and wonder coexist. Fans often navigate three different visa systems, multiple flights, and long-distance logistics just to follow their team. Even in New York, the World Cup merges with local sports culture, as Knicks celebrations and football festivities overlap, leaving tourists unsure which celebration they accidentally joined.
Backstreet Boys reunion
New York’s World Cup experience is not limited to stadiums. It is a full-scale cultural festival where music and memory play as big a role as sport. One of the most unforgettable events was the Uber One World Cup party.
Backstreet Boys perform on stage in New York City, U.S., June 12, 2026. (Photo by Funda Karayel)
The biggest surprise of the night was the appearance of the Backstreet Boys. Hearing them live again after so many years felt less like a concert and more like a time machine. The moment the first notes started, the entire room shifted into collective nostalgia. People were no longer just fans of different countries – they were suddenly the same generation again.
Songs like “I Want It That Way,” “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and “As Long As You Love Me” turned the venue into a shared emotional space. Strangers sang together, phones lit the air and for a brief moment, the World Cup was no longer about competition, it was about connection. It felt like youth returning, if only for a night.
City as World Cup art gallery
Beyond football and music, New York is also transforming into an open-air museum. The World Cup has turned the city into a living art installation. Across New York and New Jersey, 23 giant soccer ball-inspired sculptures are placed in parks, plazas, transit hubs and public squares. Each piece feels like a dialogue between sport and contemporary art where the geometry of football meets the imagination of modern artists. This initiative, known as “The Art of the Game,” turns the World Cup into something far larger than a sporting event.
A soccer ball-inspired sculpture stands in a public square, New York City, U.S., June 13, 2026. (Photo by Funda Karayel)
The city itself becomes a gallery without walls. Walking through Manhattan or Jersey, you encounter sculptures that feel both playful and monumental, objects that belong equally to football fans and art lovers. Institutions like MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art have supported the selection of artists, bringing together voices from both established and emerging creative communities. The result is a cultural landscape where football is no longer just watched, it is interpreted, reshaped and reimagined. Each sculpture becomes a symbol: of movement, global unity and shared emotion. In a way, the city is not hosting the World Cup it is artistically responding to it. Streets, parks and transit spaces feel like chapters of a larger visual story, where sport is translated into form and material.
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