Series Questions

It was a nine-event foosball tournament series for students in grades 7 through 12 across the New York Metro area. It ran from June 20 to July 17, 2026. Eight qualifiers fed one Championship Final in Manhattan, where the top three finishers shared $8,000 in educational grants, plus Xbox gaming consoles and McDonald's Arch Cards.

McDonald's New York Metro ran the program in partnership with Foosball Clubs USA, a New York founded nonprofit that engages young people through foosball programs and school partnerships nationwide.

More than 80 students competed across the eight qualifying events. Entry was free, no experience was required, and many players sat down at a tournament table for the first time that day.

Every event was held at a McDonald's restaurant. The series ran through eight cities across two states:

• Manhattan, NY, June 20, 2026
• Belleville, NJ, June 21, 2026
• Hicksville, NY, June 27, 2026
• Paterson, NJ, June 28, 2026
• Bronx, NY, July 10, 2026
• Jersey City, NJ, July 11, 2026
• Brooklyn, NY, July 12, 2026
• Manasquan, NJ, July 13, 2026
• Championship Final, Manhattan, NY, July 17, 2026

Each qualifier ran a Monster Draw Your Partner format across three or more rounds of play. Here is how a day went:

• Each event held up to 32 players, first come, first served.
• In a Monster DYP, players were randomly paired with a different partner every round, so nobody could coast on one teammate.
• Individual stats were tracked on a live leaderboard all day.
• The player with the best winning percentage at the end advanced to the Championship Final.
• Ties in winning percentage were broken by total points scored, and any remaining ties went to a head to head singles match.
• The full event wrapped in about three hours.

The eight qualifier winners came back to McDonald's at 966 3rd Ave in Manhattan on July 17, 2026. They were randomly drawn into a single elimination bracket and played through Quarterfinals and Semifinals until one champion was crowned. The top three finishers earned the grants.

Eight qualifier winners played the final. We use first names only to protect their privacy:

• 1st: Angel, Manhattan (NY). $5,000 Educational Grant, Xbox Gaming Console, $100 McDonald's Arch Card
• 2nd: Christian, Brooklyn (NY). $2,000 Educational Grant, Xbox Gaming Console, $100 McDonald's Arch Card
• 3rd: Daniel, Hicksville (NY). $1,000 Educational Grant, Xbox Gaming Console, $100 McDonald's Arch Card
• 4th: Adrian, Jersey City (NJ)
• Tied for 5th: Alex, Belleville (NJ). Sehrish, Paterson (NJ). Jaelen, Bronx (NY). Zoe, Manasquan (NJ)

The city beside each name is the qualifier they came out of. Every finalist took home a trophy.

An educational grant is money awarded to support learning or academic development. Unlike a loan, it does not need to be repaid. It is designed to remove a financial barrier to education. These grants were not paid out as cash. Each award goes toward qualified education expenses at the student’s school.

The grant covers costs tied directly to learning and growth, including:

• Tuition and school fees
• Books, supplies, and course materials
• Technology such as a laptop, software, or internet access
• Certification programs or vocational training
• Test prep for the SAT, ACT, and college entrance exams
• Transportation to and from school
• Study abroad programs
• Academic camps or summer programs
• Among others

The issuing organization has oversight of how the funds are dispersed.

McDonald's donated the tables used during the series to youth organizations around the New York Metro area. The events lasted four weeks. The tables are still in those buildings.

No. Registration for this series is closed and the series has concluded. If you want foosball at your school, you can nominate it for free tables from Foosball Clubs USA, and our next event is the Great Lakes Classic in Grand Rapids.