Why soccer fans are taking over Times Square this summer
These past two weeks, I had more than a few flashbacks to the decade I spent in South America. It started last Sunday, walking among a sea of Palmeiras fans in Port Authority, all trying to figure out which bus will get them to MetLife. Then on Tuesday, dejà vu, only this time it was Fluminense fans doing the same and, thanks to yours truly, they were able to make it to New Jersey on time.
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On Wednesday, with no games scheduled for the day, I stumbled upon a group of Flamengo and Fluminense fans chatting as I came out of the 47th street subway station, looking like they were one chop (pronounced cho-pee) away from taking the metro to Maracaña. Meanwhile in Miami, thousands of Boca Juniors fans had flooded South Beach, turning it into a de facto headquarters for La Doce — win or lose. The scene evokes Copacabana in 2014, when Argentina supporters made the beach their own all the way to the World Cup final.
I was not the only one who recognized the trend.
The footage of Palmeiras and Tunisia's Esperance fans turning Times Square into their pre-match party went viral online. It popped the question: why do soccer fans take over Times Square?
Last week Morocco's Wydad AC fans replaced Tunisians and Brazilians in claiming the area as their own, even though their first game against Manchester City was staged in Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field.
🟡🔴Espérance de Tunis fans took over Times Square ahead of the opening Club World Cup match pic.twitter.com/JU6htATDYx
— COPA90 (@Copa90) June 16, 2025
'In Moroccan culture, the concept of the 'square' — what we call 'Saha' in Arabic — has always held deep social and cultural significance,' Saber Chawni, a social media influencer from Morocco, told The Athletic when approached for comment after his posts showing Wydad fans taking over the square once hosted New York's sex worker hotspot.
'When Wydad fans gathered in Times Square, it wasn't just about celebrating a football match, it was about bringing that same Moroccan spirit of togetherness, pride and passion to one of the world's famous squares.'
Wydad did not make it to the knockouts but their Times Square party will go down as one of the most vibrant off-pitch moments of the tournament. It is a reminder that next year, when the U.S., Canada and Mexico host the World Cup, the tournament heartbeat will not only be felt inside stadiums.
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Brazilian fans agreed.
'New York to Brazilians is basically Manhattan. And Manhattan is Times Square, that's what we know,' Fabio Sá, Minute Media's EVP of global business and also a die-hard Fluminense fan, told The Athletic. 'If you want to make a statement and say, 'I own New York,' you gotta take over Times Square.'
'If we win today, we are gathering in Times Square for sure, ' another Brazilian fan told me a few hours before Palmeiras vs Al Ahly kicked off in MetLife last week. After Palmeiras beat the Egyptian side 2-0, around 10,000 fans took over the neon-lit square.
For millions of people around the world, Times Square's chaotic atmosphere embodies New York and by extension, of America itself. This global fame partly stems from Hollywood. From Taxi Driver to Spider-Man to Ghostbusters, Times Square has been a cinematic backdrop for movies for decades, making its billboards and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds instantly recognizable which makes this bowtie-shaped plaza stretching across five blocks, from 42nd to 47th Streets oddly familiar the moment you arrive, because chances are, you've already been there.
'There are two emblematic places that make us think of New York,' Gustavo, a 32-year-old NYU student from Brazil, told The Athletic, before Fluminense's match against South Korean side Ulsan HD. 'The first one is the Statue of Liberty, and that's a trek to get to, so that leaves us with Times Square to celebrate in a place so American.'
The night before their clash with Al Ahly, a group of Palmeiras fans took to the Brooklyn Bridge. It's no park or plaza, but as far as iconic New York landmarks go, it was the closest they could walk to the Statue of Liberty.
PALMEIRAS FANS TAKE OVER THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE 💚
After taking over Times Square earlier this week, the Brazilian fans have now crossed the East River. What borough is next? pic.twitter.com/GBorE48iKb
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) June 19, 2025
While Times Square is a place associated with 'America', as Gustavo put it, it's also something rare in New York: a true public plaza. It's one of the few places in the city where large crowds can gather and celebrate, just like they do back home. Unlike its European counterparts, the idea of gathering in public spaces is not popularized in this metropolis.
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Loud, chaotic and dirty, this five-block stretch most New Yorkers steer clear of happens to mirror the energy of global soccer fans. It's their kind of chaos, akin to the Obelisco in Buenos Aires, Praça Varnhagen near Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro or Place de la Bastille in Paris, where traffic stops with each soccer victory, the streets erupt with noise, flags, and flares after a big win.
In less than a year, when North America hosts the biggest World Cup in history, New York will be a must-visit for soccer fans whether their team is playing at MetLife or not. By next summer, Elmo and Spider-Man in Times Square will be trading in their costumes for Messi, Ronaldo, and Mbappé kits chasing tips from fans. If they don't act on it, World Cup organizers could be leaving money on the table, something they can hardly afford to do right now.
'There is an opportunity here for FIFA and sponsors essentially, to take over these places, anticipate these movements and turn these iconic places to official places,' Sá explains, wearing this sports business expert hat this time.
'Don't make it artificial. I am not saying let's organize something that does not need to be organized. But since the fans are already going there, how can you turn it into something better for them? But it has to be fan driven, it cannot be brand driven.'
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