As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, Philly is prepping for its part in the summer’s soccer festivities, the six games at the Linc and the free 39-day fan festival at Lemon Hill.
There’ll also be plenty of new short and long term places to play “the beautiful game” coming to the city as well.
On Friday morning, a new mini soccer pitch — that’s field in soccer speak — is set to be unveiled in Dilworth Park, sponsored by Center City District and Vivint and NRG.
The pitch will offer soccer fans a space to gather, and play from April till October on a 7,000 square-foot artificial pitch that will cover the Albert M. Greenfield Lawn next to City Hall and steps away from the clock counting down the tournament’s June 11 start date.
Vivint and NRG will also use the space for giveaways and promotions and to host community partners while the field is in place.
On a more permanent basis, a new soccer park will be built at Tip Top Playground along the Northern Liberties-Fishtown border, provided by VISA, Bank of America and non-profit organization Street Soccer USA.
The park will be revamped with two professional-grade fields with lights. It’s part of the “VISA Street Soccer Parks” program, which aims to put a street soccer park in each of the 11 World Cup host cities in the U.S. before the tournament kicks off. The first one was opened in San Francisco last year.
Along with the fields, the park will have dedicated learning centers offering after-school programming, job training programs and community events through local organizations.
“This is not about short-term excitement—it’s about building something that lasts,” said Lawrence Cann, co-founder and president of Street Soccer USA. “These parks are designed to create consistency and access, but more importantly, they belong to the communities that activate them every day.”
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