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  • 18 minutes ago
The countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is on 🌎🇺🇸
In this special conversation with the 5ASIDE crew, Timothy Weah reflects on what it means to be part of a new generation of USMNT players and why representing his community means so much to him as a proud New Yorker.
Weah discusses the excitement building around the World Cup, the opportunity to inspire the next generation, and the responsibility that comes with playing on football's biggest stage.
Mark McKenzie also shares his thoughts on the importance of fans experiencing the atmosphere of a World Cup and why having people in the stadiums will make the tournament unforgettable.

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Transcript
00:00We are here in Harlem, New York City, where New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani just announced 1,000 affordable
00:07tickets for New Yorkers across the five boroughs.
00:10We're talking about 1,000 tickets for local World Cup matches here that will only be $50.
00:16We are making sure that working people will not be priced out of the game that they helped to create.
00:21And that is why we stand together today to say that we have partnered with the New York, New Jersey
00:27Host Committee to secure 1,000 affordable tickets for New Yorkers to the World Cup.
00:39These 1,000 tickets are going to be split into batches of 150 tickets for each of the five group
00:44stage matches and two knockout round matches in New York, New Jersey, and tickets will cost only $50.
00:52We're here with two U.S. Men's National Team players, boy Timmy and my boy Mark McKenzie as well.
00:57How are y'all feeling as not just local New Yorkers but actual National Team players to be part of
01:01bringing this accessibility of the World Cup to your community?
01:05It's definitely super important to me as well, being an inner-city kid, you know, coming from Rosedale.
01:10I think we all had dreams of being at a World Cup or playing football at the highest level.
01:14So being able to inspire the next generation and have them in there is an amazing feeling.
01:19And Mayor Ramdani is doing an amazing job with it.
01:21I'm just so happy to be able to represent my community.
01:26Mark Dots?
01:28Yeah, shoot, I mean, I got the same sentiments.
01:30I don't know how much else that's different.
01:31But, again, to bring the game to so many people who may not have the ability to at least see
01:37the game in a stadium, to feel the energy.
01:39I think everybody, each of us can attest to that, right?
01:41To be in a stadium, to feel the atmosphere, to feel the supporters.
01:44And then you add on top of that is the World Cup, where you got people from every walk of
01:48life to come together and to enjoy the game.
01:50I mean, there's nothing that really beat there.
01:52We're here in Little Senegal.
01:54How are you feeling about the announcement today?
01:55Because the Mayor really, really cares about his people, you know what I'm saying?
01:59And he really has love for the football community, love for the African culture.
02:05Because you can see that he did the interview in Harlem, you know what I'm saying?
02:11And you know that Harlem, this is the biggest Senegalese African community in here.
02:15So he's supposed to show you, like, how much that the Mayor loves the Senegalese African community.
02:21Exactly.
02:26All right, I'm here with a local New Yorker, Egyptian, and Egyptian fan.
02:30Introduce yourself, brother.
02:31My name is Besam, part of Queen's Pickup.
02:34For sure, man.
02:34Now, how are you feeling about the opportunity to potentially watch your nation in this region with an affordable ticket?
02:40I think that means the world, because honestly, being in New York, life is expensive.
02:46So if we could just get a ticket to have a life-changing experience, I think it would mean the
02:50world.
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