Giant, beautiful soccer balls are popping up around New York City

From joining a stranger to cheer on a team to sharing a bench when admiring a painting, there are few things that bring people together quite like art and sports. Now, as the World Cup begins, both forces are coming together in a public sculpture installation across New York and New Jersey. Bassim al Shaker sculpture at Exchange Place [Photo: courtesy ARTS 14C] Titled The Art of The Game, the exhibition consists of sculptures by 23 internationally renowned artists like Futura 2000, Hank Willis Thomas, and Taína H. Cruz. Each figure is adorned with a steel soccer ball sculpture measuring six feet in diameter in their signature style. It’s a collaboration between ARTS 14C, a Jersey-based nonprofit devoted to lowering barriers in the arts, and the New York New Jersey Host Committee of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The pieces are installed across the five boroughs and northern New Jersey and will be on view through Labor Day. Futura 2000 [Photo: Jennifer Brown/City of Jersey City/courtesy ARTS 14C] New Jersey and New York are among the 16 cities across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada that are hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’s not just national soccer teams who are competing in the tournament; cities are engaged in a friendly contest on who can become the most welcoming host to the thousands of people attending the matches. Public art is one of their secret weapons — and is spiritually aligned with the cultural exchange the games represent. Katherine Bernhardt [Photo: Megan Maloy/courtesy ARTS 14C] “The joy art and sports bring is hard to quantify but they make life worth living,” says Robinson Holloway, CEO and Founder of ARTS 14C. “The World Cup is a brief break for a lot of people, it’s a chance to celebrate the best of humanity and the best of community, just like public art.” Mario Ayala at Grand Central Pershing Square [Photo: Megan Maloy/courtesy ARTS 14C] Beyond being a temporary exhibit with roots in the World Cup, The Art o