All-City Soccer NYC brings 2026 FIFA World Cup fever to Harlem Academy
NEW YORK, NY – With the FIFA 2026 World Cup Final set to make history at MetLife Stadium next summer, watch how Harlem Academy Kids go wild for Mini World Cup Games with All-City Soccer. NYC on NBC News 4 NY.
All-City Soccer NYC is building excitement and soccer passion among New York’s youngest players through weekly mini–World Cup tournaments with third, fourth, and fifth graders at Harlem Academy.
“Every session, after the All-City Soccer curriculum drills and fun games are completed, we play FIFA World Cup, and the United States won it all last week!” says Coach Terry Nelson, founder of All-City Soccer NYC. “
Each two-hour session concludes with 30 minutes of World Cup tournament action, where student team captains select their countries and compete with the same passion that will be on display at MetLife Stadium in 2026.
Students have proudly represented 16 nations, including traditional soccer powerhouses Spain, France, Italy, Brazil, England, and Argentina, alongside countries reflecting New York’s diverse communities such as Nigeria, Senegal, Mexico, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico.
“Despite the statistics, city kids play soccer too! There are just not enough coaches who understand how to unlock elite-level performance,” Nelson explains. “If the United States wants to compete and win the World Cup, it needs a larger pool of elite players, not only those who can afford pay-to-play systems. We are here to change that with partners like Harlem Academy.”
