It’s been nearly five years since the United States, Canada and Mexico’s candidacy defeated Morocco’s bid to host the 2026 Men’s World Cup. Now the competition has moved on campus.
A stadium has been selected for the tournament, but world football’s governing body FIFA has not yet announced which stadium will host the final.
Officials from New York City and New Jersey are gearing up to host the finals at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, including an event with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New York City Mayor Eric Adams in Times Square on Thursday morning. We are starting to work together.
“Eric and I strongly believe we have the most compelling case ever to win the best package, including the final,” Murphy said in a joint interview with Adams Wednesday morning.
In most other World Cups, the final has an obvious choice. Moscow, Rio de Janeiro and Paris were always chosen if their respective countries were to host tournaments. But the 2026 final, which takes place on July 19, has some attractive contenders (Mexico and Canada will host some of the tournament’s 104 matches, but bidders have agreed that most of the matches, and everything after the quarterfinals, would be played) in the United States. )
The last time the United States hosted a World Cup was in 1994, when the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, was the only tournament to reach the final. This time, SoFi Stadium is a Los Angeles-area site on the list of stadiums for 2026. But the stadium was built primarily for NFL football, and there are concerns that the field there is too small for soccer, which would require removing some of the seating. , to reduce capacity.
Dallas has also emerged as a strong candidate, in part because nearby AT&T Stadium could expand to provide more than 100,000 seats for football.
But Adams and Murphy argue that the New York City area surpasses them as the best location for the game.
“Yes, LA is known for its luxury and Hollywood glamour,” said Adams. “But I think New York is the biggest stage.”
Murphy said, “New York is the international capital of the world. No disrespect to Dallas, but we are about new york”
No other candidates are lying. “We are now advocating to the committee that we are the best hosts for the semifinals and finals,” said City of Dallas Candidate President Dan Hunt. told a local NBC affiliate. The end of last year. “We have two great airports, we have infrastructure, we have hotels, we have AT&T Stadium. I have. ”
“We are very fortunate to have world-class stadiums and infrastructure in our area that we could consider hosting the finals and other high-profile games,” said Kathryn Schlossman, Los Angeles Attraction Officer.
Ultimately, FIFA’s top executives, including Gianni Infantino, will make decisions with input from regional governing bodies Concacaf and US Soccer. It is expected in early autumn.
About eight games are likely at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, whether or not the New York District wins the final. It will be a big success,” Murphy said. “We sell everything. It doesn’t matter who plays.”
“But it’s clear we’re going to the final and we think we’re in the best position to get there, which is an almost unparalleled bonus in sport,” he added. “It’s an honor and I’m sure it will further revitalize the local economy.”
If “big success” comes either way, why are they so eager to reach the finals? Adams admitted another motive. “I am very competitive and want to beat other cities to reach the final.