by The World Cup final is being held in New Jersey? How is the industrial hell at the beginning of the Sopranos? And the Jersey Shore? The kind of place where guys eat sloppy steaks? Well technically, yes. But this is really a New York City final: MetLife stadium is only seven miles from Manhattan, and very close to the New York/New Jersey border. It makes sense that the biggest game in world football will take place in the biggest city in the United States (okay, very close). [Disclaimer: New Jersey also has friendly people, beautiful countryside, charming small towns and stunning coastline].
And because it’s the World Cup final and it’s in the richest country in the world, there’s no doubt that MetLife is a great venue. Well, the stench that sometimes wafts in from the nearby Meadowlands marshes is amazing. But other than that, the stadium itself is … fine? There’s nothing offensive about the MetLife – it’s not falling down or anything and it seats a lot of people – around 82,000 or so. But it doesn’t have the history of the Azteca, the venue for the tournament’s opening game, or the space-age feel of Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, which will host two of the United States’ group stage games.
Related: New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium to host 2026 World Cup final as Azteca emerges
Does he have experience hosting large events? Yes, this is New York City New Jersey, after all. MetLife hosted the Super Bowl in February 2014 and has hosted concerts by everyone from Beyonce to Taylor Swift to local boy Bruce Springsteen. MetLife’s regular tenants are the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets but, because they’re both terrible these days, “big events” at their games is a bit of a stretch.
Is there much to do around the stadium? New York City has it all. East Rutherford, New Jersey who? Not so much. There are plenty of car parks around the stadium. And some of the aforesaid marshes. Also, the American Dream shopping center, the second largest in the United States, if you want to buy some socks from Foot Locker or if you want to run fast down the piste.
One of the lasting images of the 1994 World Cup was Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton looking extremely hot and sweaty on the sidelines of Giants Stadium, the predecessor of the MetLife. Can we expect similar scenes for 2026? The MetLife is slightly inland so you won’t get much of the cool sea breeze but, at the same time, Manhattan is not a fetid sweat island in the summer. The area can be very humid but July also has its share of pleasant days. And plenty of host cities for the 2026 World Cup will be much warmer in July (although many have roofs to help players and fans stay cool). So we could get Charlton-like scenes but, assuming global warming doesn’t rise too quickly in the next few years and the game is in the evening, it might be fine.
Will players have to slide around on artificial turf? NFL players have long complained that artificial turf at MetLife is responsible for an alarming number of injuries, with one visiting Miami Dolphins player describing the surface as “trashy.” That won’t be a problem at the World Cup: the stadium will use a grass pitch for the 2026 tournament. Just under 2,000 seats will also be removed to make the pitch wider for the World Cup as well.
Can I get there by public transport? There is always a currency exchange at the World Cup. At Qatar 2022 fans got top class trains but no booze. In 2026, there will be plenty of booze but also an alleged New York/New Jersey public transportation system. If you imagine yourself slipping out of a chic Manhattan restaurant before a quick trip to the stadium, forget it. The easiest way from the city is to head to Penn Station to board a train to Secaucus Junction, one of the least glamorous transportation hubs in the northern hemisphere. From there you change for another train to MetLife. There are also buses from the stadium to the dubious features of the Port Authority Bus Terminal (pro tip: do no make eye contact with anyone you don’t know). That said, at least you can get to the MetLife by public transportation, which is not the case with many major stadiums in the US.
Can I drive there? Of course you can, this is America. And there are the car parks very big.
I heard that stadiums in Texas and California were also in the running for the final. What happened? The Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, a monument to Texan excess that can seat up to 100,000, has been tipped by many to host the final but there is no public transportation to the stadium so fans without cars must rely on cabs . However, the stadium will host a further nine World Cup matches, more than any other venue. The SoFi Stadium was also in the lead but its owner, Stan Kroenke, got into a dispute with Fifa over revenue sharing. The consolation prize will host those two group games from the USA and also serve as a venue for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
