Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani wants New Yorkers to know the soccer season isn't done just because the World Cup wrapped up. He announced that the second annual Cost of Living Classic tournament will take over Maimonides Park in Coney Island on Sunday, October 25, with spectators welcome to come watch for free.
Mamdani made the announcement in a post on X, writing, “We're hosting the second annual Cost of Living Classic tournament on Saturday October 25th at Maimonides Park in Coney Island,” according to Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani
. He framed the event around a simple idea: the end of the World Cup doesn't mean soccer season has to end for everyday New Yorkers looking for something to do on a Saturday.
The tournament is billed as a citywide soccer competition hosted by Zohran for NYC and NYC Footy, according to a Luma event page tied to the gathering. That page describes the setting as the iconic Coney Island Boardwalk, inviting fans to watch the games and cheer on their borough from the bleachers. Concession stands at Maimonides Park will be open throughout the day, the listing notes.
What Spectators Can Expect at the Ballpark
Anyone hoping to play will need to look elsewhere for a roster spot — the Luma registration page makes clear it's for spectators only, since team registration has already closed. The tournament format, per listings from NYC Footy's league platform, calls for 5v5 mixed-gender soccer with a minimum of two female players required on the field, including the goalkeeper position. Matches are split into two divisions, casual for beginner to intermediate players and competitive for intermediate to advanced players, the same NYC Footy page notes.
Last year's listing for the tournament put the player cost at zero dollars, with no processing fee tacked on. Those same league materials from 2025 describe a planned field of 32 teams divided between the competitive and casual brackets, though it's worth noting those specifics come from last year's event listing rather than from this year's announcement.
The second annual tournament is scheduled for October 25, 2026.
For now, the invitation stands simple: head to Maimonides Park on the Coney Island Boardwalk on October 25, grab a spot in the bleachers, and cheer on a borough. Concessions will be running, the games will be free to watch, and Mamdani's message suggests the city's soccer calendar has room for one more big day before the season winds down.
