The World Cup final will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2026.
Despite rumors earlier this month that AT&T Stadium would be the venue for the final, FIFA officially announced Sunday afternoon that the most-watched international match will be held in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
FIFA requires the installation of natural grass surfaces for all World Cup matches, and MetLife plans to ban it for the tournament.
MetLife Stadium will undergo renovations ahead of the 2026 game, with the final game to be held on July 19, 2026.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy reacted excitedly in a post to X after the news was announced.
“As a lifelong soccer fan, I am thrilled to announce that the 2026 FIFA World Cup Finals will be held in New Jersey City and New York City,” Murphy wrote.
The New Jersey venue, 19 miles from New York City, is home to the Jets and Giants, who have defeated cities such as Los Angeles and Dallas.
AT&T Stadium will host the most games of the tournament, with nine games scheduled for the large venue, with SoFi Stadium hosting the U.S.’s first game on June 12th.
In 2026, games will also be held in the United States in Boston, Kansas City, Philadelphia-Houston, Seattle and San Francisco.
The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca will be the venue for the tournament’s opening game on June 11, while Toronto’s BMO Stadium will host the first game in Canada the following day.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium and AT&T Stadium will be the venues for the 2026 World Cup semifinals.
FIFA officials met last month to discuss hosting the 2026 World Cup final, leading to reports suggesting AT&T Stadium would be chosen to host the final.
Officials in Dallas and New York immediately said they had not been informed of any decisions made by FIFA following the report.
Murphy told the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce in October that he felt MetLife Life had a “50-50” chance of getting the coveted game.
“But I think it’s a 50-50 proposition for Dallas, of all places,” Murphy said at the time. “But it is what it is. I think we have all the convincing arguments we need to get to the finals here.”
MetLife Stadium can seat 82,500 fans and has hosted numerous large-scale events since the building opened in 2010.
Super Bowl 48 and WrestleMania were held in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which has hosted numerous international soccer matches.
The three 2024 Copa America matches will be held at MetLife, but New York Red Bulls officials have announced that the game against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF will be held at MetLife due to high demand for the match. At one point, there was consideration of converting it into a stadium.
The announcement marks the first time a Men’s World Cup game will be held in the New York/New Jersey area since 1994, when seven games were held at Giants Stadium.
Giants Stadium also hosted four games during the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
