New Jerseys very own MetLife Stadium will be hosting the World Cup in 2026. This came as part of a winning North American Bid to host the games. Under the terms of the deal, the U.S. will be hosting 60 games, while Mexico and Canada will be hosting 10 matches each.
MetLife Stadium received this news the day before the 2018 FIFA World Cup Began in Moscow. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford is the recommended site for the final match of the 2026 soccer extravaganza.
After multiple reports were published talking about how New Jersey would host the 2026 championship game, MetLife Stadium stated:
“FIFA will make the final selection of host cities and match locations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup from the 23 candidates proposed in the united bid. FIFA will make those decisions in 2020-2021. Metlife Stadium was included in the bid book as a recommended site for the final and we look forward to working with FIFA to finalize plans in the coming years.”
16 stadiums that stretched from Edmonton, Canada, to Mexico City will hold games for the world cup. Ten of these venues are held in the U.S. The rest are split evenly between Canada and Mexico.
Gov. Phil Murphy expressed hope the North Jersey venue also will be chosen to host some earlier matches, in addition to serving as the final-game venue. Murphy also stated:
“MetLife Stadium is an internationally renowned facility with first-class amenities,” Murphy said. “The Meadowlands region includes hundreds of hotels to house fans from all over the world and first-rate entertainment, shopping and dining, all just across the river from New York City.”
The U.S. last hosted the quadrennial tournament in 1994. This year, the U.S. team failed to qualify for a spot in the World Cup. The North American bid beat out Morocco for the 2026 tourney in a 134-65 vote.
North American soccer reportedly spent over $6 million to promote the winning proposal to host the 2026 World Cup.
