WORLD CUP 2026
FIFA reveals the reasons why MetLife Stadium in New York / New Jersey will host the 2026 World Cup final
The biggest soccer game on earth will be played at the home of the Giants and the Jets on 19 July 2026.
On Sunday, FIFA announced the match calendar for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Among the most eye-catching revelations were the choices to host the opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico and the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, which caught many by surprise. AT&T Stadium in Dallas, where a semi-final will be played, had been seen by some as the favourite to host the showpiece game, but the east coast has ultimately been selected due to “everything New York offers as a city”.
What criteria did FIFA use to select the World Cup final host?
Manolo Zubiría, Director of Competitions at FIFA, spoke to Spanish-language radio program Fútbol de Primera with Andrés Cantor and explained the reasons why MetLife Stadium had been picked for the final: “When you see the stadiums that will be used at this World Cup, you realise there are many that could perfectly host a World Cup final.
“There were also certain criteria of capacity, capacity for the press and obviously not all of the 16 stadiums met those criteria. We talked a lot about it before making the decision, almost until a couple of days before, if not the night before. The choice of New York, and the president (Gianni Infantino) highlighted it, has a lot to do with the size of its population.”
“New York chosen not just for the stadium, but for the city”
Zubiría continued: “For a World Cup final, not only for the two teams from those two countries that are playing, but also for those who like soccer in every country in the world, it’s going to be a huge party. Not just at MetLife Stadium, but in the entire area around New York. It’s going to be a great party and New York was chosen not only for the stadium, but for everything it offers as a city.”
The 2026 World Cup will begin in Mexico City on Thursday 11 June 2026, with the final to be played at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on Sunday 19 July 2026. 78 of the 104 matches will be played in the United States, with Mexico and Canada hosting 13 each.