FIFA held a special event at the historic Grand Central Terminal in New York City, celebrating the countdown to the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup final and highlighting the global nature of this event that brings together fans from different continents in one moment.

FIFA explained that the final match will kick off at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday at New York New Jersey Stadium, with Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić officiating the match.

The international federation noted that it reprogrammed the famous departure boards at Grand Central Terminal to display the match start time in cities representing all 48 participating teams in the tournament, in a scene symbolizing the unity of the moment globally.

FIFA added that the boards included cities such as Madrid, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Rabat, Toronto, Port-au-Prince, Auckland, and Mexico City, confirming the wide global impact of the tournament extending to 211 FIFA member associations.

Symbolism of Grand Central and the trophy display: For its part, the international federation chose Grand Central Terminal for what its famous clock represents as a symbol of time, movement, and connection, as the station has welcomed millions of travelers and visitors from around the world for over a century.

In the same context, the event came to embody the similarity between the station and the global final, as meeting points that connect peoples and create shared moments that remain in memory.

It is noted that the World Cup trophy was displayed inside the station as part of the event, with photos and videos made available for media use via the FIFA digital platform until Monday, July 20.

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