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Moments After Messi @ MetLife

He receives the ball in his attacking third from a thrown-in down the right flank. Cutting inside on his left foot, he finds his teammate on a through-ball at the goal line. He continues his run where that same teammate lays the ball back, setting him up to shoot. But it misses him, instead finding another teammate who fires a shot. The ball glides toward goal — and with a touch that graces off his boot before finding its way into the back of the net, Lionel Messi scores to bring La Albiceleste closer to a Copa America semi-final victory over Canada at MetLife Stadium.

This excitement and energy from the evening permeated into the next morning, where hundreds of youth from all over New York and New Jersey took the very same pitch at MetLife Stadium for a community event facilitated by the FIFA World Cup 2026™ New York New Jersey Host Committee. Led by U.S. Soccer Foundation coaches, youth got to test their own skills and replicate moves they saw from soccer’s greats just hours before against their friends and teammates.

“It’s very good,” a young girl said about playing soccer at MetLife, “because not many normal people can have this experience. I’m very lucky to have this.”

“I’m happy for this opportunity to play here at MetLife Stadium where Messi played yesterday,” another participant remarked. “It’s just beautiful to play here…It’s incredible to be here with my teammates.”

The Bigger Picture

This event supports the NYNJ Host Committee’s and U.S. Soccer Foundation’s larger partnership to design and implement programs that use soccer to achieve positive outcomes for youth living in the region’s underserved communities leading up to and after the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

Through the partnership, our two groups will:

  • Create 26 new Safe Places to Play to play by installing mini-pitches in under-resourced communities across New York and New Jersey;
  • Engage at least 25,000 youth from under-resourced communities in soccer programs that build physical, social, and emotional well-being skills and increase access to soccer; and
  • Train at least 1,000 coaches as mentors in youth-serving organizations across New York and New Jersey.
  • a group of about 60 young kids wearing white U.S. Soccer Foundation jerseys smile at the camera with their hands raised in celebration. they are facing the camera from the field at metlife stadium during a bright, sunny day.
  • a group of kids are smiling with their hands up. they are wearing white U.S. Soccer Foundation jerseys. one child is the main focus of the image. she is smiling with her hands up in celebration during a bright, sunny day at metlife stadium on the soccer field.
  • three boys run across the soccer field at metlife stadium. they are each wearing white U.S. Soccer Foundation jerseys.
  • a wide angle image of metlife stadium from the stands showing youth dotting every corner of the soccer field duing a sunny day
  • four young girls pose and smile for the camera with their arms around each other, each about ten years old. the girl on the left is wearing a sky blue U.S. Soccer Foundation jersey. the three girls to her left are each wearing a white jersey.
  • two boys pose together for a photo from the soccer field. they are each wearing a white U.S. Soccer Foundation jersey. the boy in the front has darker hair and is shorter than his friend who is holding his shoulders from just behind him. the other boy is a bit taller and is wearing a blue cap.
  • a coach in a yellow hijab, white U.S. Soccer Foundation jersey, and long blue skirt speaks to her team of young kids to get them excited on the MetLife Stadium soccer field. seven young kids wearing light blue U.S. Soccer Foundation jerseys scream back at her in excitement
  • three girls smile at the camera. they are standing in a sort of diagonal line -- at the front is a black girl with long thin braids about 13 years old wearing a bright green pinny over a light blue U.S. Soccer Foundation jersey. the girl in the middle is black and has short black hair. the girl at the back is white and shorter with brown hair. they are also wearing light blue U.S. Soccer Foundation jerseys.
  • a group of youth have their mouths open as they scream in excitement. there are four black boys at the front who are sitting or kneeling on their knees. there are a couple of girls in view just behind them. all of them are black and are wearing light blue U.S. Soccer Foundation jerseys.

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