An Enormous Talking Soccer Ball Is Coming to NYC for the FIFA World Cup

The soccer ball will take over the North Plaza of Rockefeller Center.

Image courtesy of Peacock
Image courtesy of Peacock

You read that right. A massive interactive soccer ball is coming to NYC to join fans in cheering for their favorite team during the FIFA World Cup.

The ball, which is part of a Peacock initiative, will take over the North Plaza of Rockefeller Center on Monday, November 21. Every time players score a goal, the ball will light up in the team colors of the country that just scored, and the voice of Telemundo Deportes' Andres Cantor will come out of the soccer ball with the journalist's iconic "Goooaaal" cheer.

Together with the giant interactive installation, televisions will be set up as well, where fans will be able to watch the day's matches live on Telemundo and Peacock in Spanish. Once the matches are over, fans will still be able to interact with the soccer ball, and they'll get the chance to decide what colors it should display depending on their supporting country.

On November 21, the ball will be active for the 8 am, 11 am, and 2 pm matches, which include the US' first match against Wales at 2 pm. After debuting in NYC, the ball will then make its way to Miami, where it will keep cheering with fans from Friday, November 25 through Sunday, November 27 at the Wynwood Marketplace.

"The World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world, and—in addition to streaming all 64 games live in Spanish on Peacock—we wanted to create something that matches that outsized excitement for fans," Jo Fox, SVP, Brand Marketing, Peacock, said in a statement. "Our giant responsive soccer ball is designed to tap into the thrill of watching the World Cup in Spanish, allowing fans to share the exhilaration of cheering on their favorite teams."

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Serena Tara is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.