Before the World Cup, Harlem

Before the stadiums fill.
Before the global headlines.
Before the world arrives for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the conversation begins in Harlem.

For generations, Harlem has existed as more than a neighborhood. It has been a cultural force — shaping music, art, fashion, politics, literature, and Black expression far beyond New York City.

From the stages of the Apollo to the streets that inspired generations of creativity and reinvention, Harlem has long influenced the world before the rest of the world caught up.

That spirit sits at the center of Can We Kick It?

As the United States prepares for the largest sporting event in the world, Can We Kick It? explores a deeper question about the future of soccer in America — who gets included, who gets overlooked, and what the game could become if it truly reflected all of America.

Because despite soccer’s global reach, many urban communities across the country have often remained outside of the larger American soccer conversation. Not because the talent wasn’t there. Not because the creativity didn’t exist. But because the access, infrastructure, visibility, and pathways often didn’t.

Bringing this film to Harlem was intentional.

Not simply because Harlem is iconic, but because Harlem represents culture, resilience, movement, and imagination. The same qualities that continue to shape global culture are the same qualities that could reshape the future of soccer in the United States.

Can We Kick It? is not just about sport.
It’s about identity.
Opportunity.
Representation.
Possibility.

The film lives at the intersection of soccer and culture — where storytelling, music, fashion, community, and sport all collide.

Ahead of the World Cup, America will spend billions discussing soccer. Stadiums will activate. Brands will market. Cities will transform into global stages.

But before all of that, we wanted to begin somewhere real.

Somewhere with history.
Somewhere with soul.
Somewhere that understands cultural movements before the rest of the world catches up.

Harlem.

Because the real question isn’t whether the world is coming to America.

The real question is:

What does soccer in America become after the world leaves?

Concrete2Green….