Birnin New York ya ɗauki wani muhimmin mataki zuwa ga FIFA World Cup 2026 a ranar Alhamis, lokacin da Shugaban FIFA Gianni Infantino ya buɗe hukumance filin wasa na farko na FIFA Arena a Central Park, tare da Magajin Garin New York Zohran Mamdani da Gwamnar Jihar New York Kathy Hochul.
Bikin, wanda aka gudanar a Tavern on the Green, ya kuma kasance da Babban Jami'i da kuma wanda ya kafa Global Citizen Hugh Evans, Shugabar Central Park Conservancy Betsy Smith, Babban Jami'in Kwamitin Masaukin New York New Jersey Alex Lasry, da kuma Tatsuniyar FIFA George Weah — tsohon Shugaban Jamhuriyar Laberiya, wanda ya lashe FIFA World Player of the Year a 1995, da kuma kyaftin na girmamawa na FIFA Players' Voice Panel.
Tatsuniyoyin FIFA Roberto Baggio, Marco Materazzi, Christian "Bobo" Vieri da Youri Djorkaeff, wanda shi ne Babban Mai ba da Shawara kan Ƙwallon Ƙafa na FIFA, sun kasance a wurin don tallafawa shirin ba wa matasa muhalli mai tsaro don buga wasan a tsakiyar birni.
New York ta zama ƙasar ƙwallon ƙafa
Infantino ya bayyana buɗe FIFA Arena a matsayin lokacin da canjin New York zuwa birnin ƙwallon ƙafa ya fara gaske, yana mai cewa Central Park yanzu yankin ƙwallon ƙafa ne. Ya ce: "New York birni ne na duniya sosai. Muna da ƙasashe sama da 200 a nan… kowa ya kamata ya yi alfahari da asalinsa kuma ya nuna hakan, musamman saboda muna da Gasar Duniya."
FIFA ta sanar da gina filayen wasa 26 na FIFA Arena a duk fadin New York, wani babban saka hannun jari wajen inganta ƙwallon ƙafa. Filin Central Park zai kasance a buɗe ga jama'a daga ranar 10 ga Yuni zuwa 18 ga Yuli, ana gudanar da shi ta hannun Street Soccer USA tare da haɗin gwiwar FIFA. Ana sa ran yara sama da 5,000 daga dukkan ɓangarori biyar za su amfana, ta hanyar makarantu sama da 80, cibiyoyin nishaɗi, da ƙungiyoyin al'umma.
Bukukuwan kallo ga mutane 50,000
Tare da buɗewar filin, an sanar da wani buɗaɗɗen taron kallo kyauta ga mutane 50,000 a Central Park a lokacin ƙarshen wasan FIFA World Cup 2026 a ranar 19 ga Yuli, wanda Global Citizen ke gabatarwa. Za a rarraba tikiti ta hanyar ciro kuji, kuma kashi 20 bisa ɗari an keɓe wa ƙungiyoyin agaji da ƙungiyoyin ƙwallon ƙafa na matasa.
Taron yana da tallafi na dalar Amurka miliyan 6 daga Empire State Development da dalar Amurka miliyan 3.5 daga Birnin New York, tare da wasan kide-kide da masu sayar da abinci na gida.
Gwamna Hochul ta ce: "Muna gudanar da babban taron kallo ga babban wasa a duniya… nan a Central Park… kuma menene farashin shiga? Kyauta ne." Global Citizen kuma yana samar da nunin rabin lokaci na farko a tarihi a ƙarshen wasan Kofin Duniya, wanda Chris Martin na Coldplay ke sarrafa shi, tare da wasanni daga Shakira, Madonna da BTS.
George Weah da gado na shirin
George Weah, wanda ɗansa Timothy ke wakiltar United States a gasar, ya jaddada muhimmancin shirin FIFA Arena fiye da ƙwallon ƙafa. Ya ce: "Ina ganin wannan wani muhimmin shiri ne. Ayyukan da FIFA ke gudanarwa a al'ummomi irin wannan — irin inda na fito — suna da mahimmanci, ba ga ƙwallon ƙafa kawai ba, har ma da ci gaban bil'adama."
Tsohon jarumi na Paris Saint-Germain da AC Milan ya nemi gasar ta nuna manyan ƙimomi na wasan. Ya ce: "Muna fata ne kawai a gasar abokantaka, da gasar da babu wariyar launin fata. Wannan shi ne alama ta wasan: haɗin kai da abokantaka."
Magajin Gari Mamdani, wanda ya buga ƙaramin wasa a filin tare da yaran Soccer Streets da Infantino, ya bayyana fatan sa na gaba. Ya ce: "Fata na na gaske shi ne cewa, a kan hanyar zuwa Kofin Duniya na 2038, idan aka tambaya babban dan wasan da ke fitowa na ƙungiyar maza ta ƙasar Amurka inda tafiyarsa ta fara, zai iya cewa, 'Nan, a wannan filin a Central Park.'"
