FIFA World Cup bus catches fire as chaotic festivities erupt in Manhattan after Knicks win

A World Cup bus was set on fire and a teenager suffered a gunshot wound during chaotic scenes in Midtown Manhattan as thousands of basketball fans took to the streets late Saturday to celebrate the New York Knicks’ historic victory in the NBA Finals.

Some fans set off fireworks and fired smoke grenades after pouring out of packed bars and outdoor venues, chanting “Knicks in five!” chanted. to mark their team’s victory in the fifth game of a possible seven.

The New York Knicks haven’t won a title since 1973, and this was only their third appearance in the finals after losses in 1994 and 1999 to the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs, whom it defeated on Saturday night.

It was teeming with World Cup shuttle buses

At about 2 a.m. local time, a 17-year-old was shot in the foot during festivities in Times Square, a New York police officer said Reuters. Three persons of interest were in custody, he added.

As the festivities moved into the night, hundreds of mostly young people swarmed in a convoy of about 15 shuttle buses to Times Square, having ferried soccer fans from the first World Cup match in the New York City area between Brazil and Morocco, which ended in a draw.

Some of them climbed onto the roofs of the buses, got in and sat in the driver’s seats. One of the yellow school buses that the city government had hired to transport football fans was set on fire, a police spokesman said. Reuters video journalist who witnessed the flames. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the incident. At least three more shuttle buses were seriously damaged by the crowds.

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A bicycle was towed onto the roof of another bus, and supporters of the Brazilian soccer team joined Knicks fans on the roof of a bus, waving their national flag. A man with a bleeding face walked through the crowd, but Reuters could not determine the cause of his injury.

“They express their happiness a bit violently, but it is what it is,” said Youssef Sabbr, a 49-year-old Canadian of Moroccan descent, who had stepped off one of the World Cup match buses before it was surrounded by crowds.

“That’s what happens all over the world when a team wins,” Sabbr said.

The police come in and chase fans

Police cordoned off several streets, and after about two hours of a standoff, officers in riot gear moved in and chased fans through the streets.

Some mounted officers pushed back the crowd and cleared the streets around Madison Square Garden, the Knicks’ home field.

Carol Marino, a New York real estate agent in her 50s, was taking a breather on the sidewalk after watching the game at a bar.

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«Oh my God. It’s like New Year’s Eve times twenty,» she said of the festivities.

Elsewhere, jubilant fans played drums, hugged each other and climbed scaffolding and traffic lights.

New York couple Dean and Christina Smiros said they have been lifelong Knicks fans and were happy to see their team win for the first time in their lives.

“They haven’t won since we were born,” Christina said.

Published on June 14, 2026