VIDEO SHOWS: ANNOUNCEMENT AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 23, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 1. TELEMUNDO SPORTS ANCHOR, VERONICA CONTRERAS, APPROACHING LECTERN AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TELEMUNDO SPORTS ANCHOR, VERONICA CONTRERAS, SAYING: "This moment belongs to all of us – fans, family and friends coming together through the universal language of football. Next summer, in this very spot, you will see the most epic global fan fest experience for the FIFA World Cup 2026. You guys excited? This is an iconic place in New York. When you say New York, this is a place you want to come and visit. There will be soccer right here on the plaza, live view matches, music, legendary appearances and much more. So this is like a sneak peek of a tease of what's coming when the World Cup comes to the world's greatest city." 3. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: CLAUDIA CHAGUI, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND CREATIVE AT NBCUNIVERSAL TELEMUNDO ENTERPRISES / ALEX LASRY, CEO AT FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 NYNJ HOST COMMITTEE / TAMMY MURPHY, FIRST LADY OF NEW JERSEY / VERONICA CONTRERAS, TELEMUNDO SPORTS ANCHOR / EB KELLY, SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR AT TISHMAN SPEYER, HEAD OF ROCKEFELLER CENTER; GLOBAL CUSTOMER PARTNERSHIPS / MADDIE LABADIE, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, POSING FOR PHOTOS 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, MADDIE LABADIE, SAYING: "We officially hit a fever pitch with the launch of the New York New Jersey World Cup 2026 Telemundo Fan Village at Rock Center. Soccer has a magic that brings the world together, and right here in the heart of Manhattan, the global energy is coming alive. This fan village will serve as the ultimate watch party destination for fans from every corner of the world. Just look around at the energy at this amazing facility and all the space we have. It's what makes soccer so powerful that we can bring people together." 5. GROUP POSING FOR PHOTOS 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CEO AT FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 NYNJ HOST COMMITTEE, ALEX LASRY, SAYING: "The World Cup is a once in a lifetime and a once in a generation opportunity. It's been 30 years since the United States has hosted a World Cup. And the fact that we are able to bring not just eight matches, but the finals of the World Cup right here to New York, New Jersey, to our region, is one that I think gives us an incredible opportunity, but also puts an immense responsibility on us, because we are going to be putting on the game that the entire world is going to be watching. If football is America's sport, 'futbol' is the world's sport. And if you actually think about the last World Cup final – was viewed by the same amount of people as the last 13 Super Bowls combined. So when you put that into perspective, the eyes of the world are going to be on us when we're hosting this fan village. And for us to be able to do it right here in such an iconic space, one that I think really speaks to welcoming the world to this region is one that I think makes us really proud and really excited. I think one of the goals of the host committee is to be able to bring a fan engagement and a fan experience to people who aren't going to be able to step foot inside the stadium. The stadium and inside is going to be great. But we want to bring that same energy and that same excitement outside the stadium, because we are going to have millions of people coming from around the world coming here to watch and be a part of the World Cup. We're expecting over $3 billion of economic impact as a result of this World Cup. And doing a fan village right here in Rockefeller Center is one of the reasons why we want to have this – to be able to show the world all of the great assets that New York and New Jersey have is one of our greatest responsibilities and one of the things that is going to show the world that if you want to have the premier sports entertainment event, if you want to be the premier tourism destination worth talking about, you want to do it right here in this region. And so we're really excited about this. I think this fan village is going to be one of our greatest assets and I think one of the biggest treasures that we're going to have. And it's going to leave a lasting legacy and I think kind of push the limits of what you're able to do with these great events." 7. GROUP POSING FOR PHOTOS ON BUS 8. VARIOUS OF PROMOTIONAL DOUBLE DECKER BUS FOR THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP STORY: An iconic New York City landmark will become an epicenter of soccer celebration next year as Rockefeller Center hosts Manhattan’s flagship World Cup fan village, organizers said on Thursday (October 23). “We officially hit a fever pitch with the launch of the New York New Jersey World Cup 2026 Telemundo Fan Village at Rock Center,” said Maddie Labadie, deputy chief of staff to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Soccer has a magic that brings the world together.” The popular tourist site, best known for its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, will be transformed into “the ultimate watch party for fans,” with live broadcasts and fan experiences, the New York/New Jersey Host Committee said. “This moment belongs to all of us – fans, family and friends coming together through the universal language of football. Next summer, in this very spot, you will see the most epic global fan fest experience for the FIFA World Cup 2026,” said Veronica Contreras, Telemundo sports anchor. The fan village is set to run in conjunction with partner and broadcaster Telemundo from July 4-19. NYNJ is set to host eight matches – including the final – at MetLife Stadium, with daily fan festivals planned across the country’s biggest metropolitan region and sports market. “The World Cup is a once in a lifetime and a once in a generation opportunity,” said Alex Lasry, CEO of the FIFA World Cup 2026 NYNJ Host Committee. “We’re expecting over $3 billion of economic impact as a result of this World Cup.” More than one million tickets for the 2026 World Cup were sold through Visa presale, as Canada, Mexico and the United States prepare to co-host the largest-ever edition of the tournament with 48 nations and 104 matches across 16 cities. The fan festivals expected across host cities could serve to open the tournament up to more soccer fanatics as ticket prices climb into the thousands of dollars for later stages and the final. (Production: Hussein Al Waaile, Amy Tennery, Roselle Chen)
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