How to Organize a Soccer Tournament the Right Way
NYC’s largest recreational tournament, The Governor’s Cup, is coming up (Registration opens 1/15)
FIFA president Gianni Infantino dialled the hyperbole up to eleven when he recently
described the 2026 World Cup as “simply the greatest event mankind will ever see.”
Exaggeration aside, there’s no question that a well-organised football tournament can
deliver impact both on and off the pitch — whether it’s a World Cup final or a Sunday
morning in Brooklyn.
NYC Footy is increasingly fluent in the language of tournament football, having doubled the
number of events it hosted in 2025. As the scale of these events grows, so too do the branding and commercial opportunities around them.
This week, The Carrier caught up with Fabricio Lima, NYC Footy’s Head of Business
Development & Events, to talk through the challenges and rewards of running large recreational
soccer tournaments — and to gather his three top tips for building strong, productive partnerships with sponsors.
The NYC Footy community
For those unfamiliar with the backstory, NYC Footy began in 2010 when Tarek Pertew and
Gerardo Cueva — two friends who met on a free agent team in another league — decided to offer something better.
NYC Footy has since grown to become the nation’s largest adult soccer league, with over 30,000
players taking to its many fields each season.
With roughly 80 leagues in operation this winter, league play remains NYC Footy’s bread and
butter. But with a wider community of around 60,000 working professionals and soccer lovers,
tournaments offer something different to both players and the organisation itself.
The view at the Copa Old Parr tournament, a smooth tasting Footy brand activation.
There is clear crossover between leagues and tournaments and, as Fabricio explains, this
extends to NYC Footy’s commercial relationships.
“Our jerseys are probably our most prized sponsorship opportunities. People leave their house
every week in a NYC Footy jersey; the logo walks around New York and is highly visible in public
parks with a lot of people coming by.
“However, this year two of our jersey sponsors — JD Sports and the Waterloo drinks brand —
deepened their relationships with us. JD Sports sponsored not only our jerseys, but almost all of
our events, and we’re now working with them on tournaments in Dallas and Miami as well. It’s
much the same with Waterloo, who now do product placement at our events.”
Different types of tournaments
The Cup of Dreams tournament crew: proof that malls aren’t just for shopping anymore.
Fabricio joined the organisation in 2024 and, under his watch, the number of tournaments NYC
Footy organised doubled from five to ten this calendar year.
These events can be divided into three distinct categories. The first comprises NYC Footy’s own
flagship tournaments: the Governor’s Cup, Footy Fest Catskills, Footy Fest Miami and the Cup of
Dreams — the latter hosted at the American Dream Mall as part of the build-up to the 2026 World
Cup.
Watch out Miami: more tournaments are on the way in 2026!
A second group of tournaments are born from partnerships with other businesses and brands. In
2025, Fuchs Fest was organised in collaboration with former English Premier League winner
Christian Fuchs in April, while the Chopped Cheese Classic was an altogether different affair —
bringing together bodega owners, workers and friends, followed by a block party for the wider
community.
The third category consists of exclusively sponsored tournaments, which NYC Footy runs on
behalf of other companies. The KOTN Cup, the Copa Old Parr, the Etihad Corporate Cup and the
Cost of Living Classic all fell into this category in 2025 — the latter making a splash on the front
pages in November during a pivotal week in New York City politics.
Fabricio’s top three tips for potential sponsors
FC Bayern’s Berni celebrating Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Fall championship.
When it comes to maximising the commercial opportunities offered by well-run soccer
tournaments, NYC Footy has learned what works — and what doesn’t — through experience.
With that in mind, we asked Fabricio to share three key takeaways for potential tournament
sponsors to consider.
Top of Fabricio’s list is finding the right fit between NYC Footy and any prospective sponsor.
“Our brand audience is, on average, around 30 years old. They are physically active, New York–
based professionals. Successful partnerships happen when NYC Footy and its sponsors align —
in terms of outlook, values and attitude,” he explains.
“Scale is also important. We have a significant presence in New York, but we are still relatively
niche.”
2. Focus on the bigger picture
The Kotn Cup has quickly become a premiere NY Fashion Week event.
While tournaments can certainly drive on-site revenue, Fabricio believes it is important to look
beyond any units shifted on event day.
“We do see conversions through discount offers and similar initiatives, but I would say it’s less
about immediate sales,” he explains.
“A tournament is not going to help you sell 60,000 pairs of shoes in one go. However, if you’re looking to put your brand out there and associate it with NYC Footy and its community, then that’s
a good fit.
“I’ll give you an example. We have a partner, Mac Weldon, a clothing brand. They’re happy to
sponsor our events because they see our community starting to say, ‘Hey, this is a nice, good-
quality brand.’ There’s value in that, even if it doesn’t translate immediately into increased sales.”
3. Play the long game
Any team hoping to win a tournament needs to display consistency and resilience — and much the same applies when it comes to sponsors maximising their return from such events.
“It’s more than one tournament; it’s a process,” Fabricio adds. “You’ve got to be involved in one event, then a second, then a third to really see results.”
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