FIFA World Cup | NYC Mayor Mamdani Watches World Cup Semifinal With Rikers Inmates

While World Cup watch parties typically filled offices, public parks, and bars across New York City, one gathering took place in a starkly unusual location: Rikers Island correctional facility, a site better known for its overcrowding and violence than for hosting social events. More than 100 inmates, dressed in tan uniforms, took seats at tables facing a projection screen in a gymnasium at the complex’s main intake center. They gathered to watch the semifinal match between England and Argentina, with colorful balloon towers topped by soccer ball balloons framing the screen.