New York City FC (NYCFC) held its third annual Consulate Cup on Saturday, Sept. 28, pitting New York-based diplomats from around the world against each other in a charity soccer tournament in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
The annual tournament featured 16 different nations represented by diplomats based in the city and raised money for City in the Community, the non-profit arm of NYCFC that provides training and funding for youth-led soccer programs throughout New York City.
Saturday’s event ran for four hours, with Georgia prevailing over an NYPD team representing the United States in the final.
Ronald Mejia, a retired NYPD lieutenant who represented the USA as a player and manager at the tournament, said the Consulate Cup was an opportunity to unify people from around the world.
Fausto Perez, who captained the Mexican team at the tournament, said the event was an opportunity to represent his parents’ homeland.
“It’s a great initiative, the power of soccer can transform lives and communities,” Perez said during Saturday’s tournament.
Giuseppe Rossi, a former professional player who played at English giant Manchester United during his career, represented Italy during Saturday’s tournament and said it was an honor to represent his home country.
“It’s great to see different nations out here enjoying the game. It’s all about community and bringing people together,” Rossi said.
Paul Jeffries, executive director of the City in the Community Foundation, said Saturday’s event helped raise vital funds for the non-profit, helping to make soccer more accessible for boys and girls in each of the five boroughs. He said the event can help City in the Community achieve its mission of using the power of sports to improve mental and physical health among younger generations in the city.
“This event is really special,” Jeffries said. “It recognizes that New York City has wonderful opportunities and communities. Funds raised through this event will bring together 30-40 neighborhoods.”
The Consulate Cup is organized by a committee made up of representatives from NYCFC, the Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in New York, the African Advisory Council of the Bronx, the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York, the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and the Consulate General of Mexico in New York.
Diplomats from Angola, Argentina, Cameroon, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America took part in the 2024 iteration of the tournament.
