FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium in 2026 expected to be financial win for New York, New Jersey
NEW YORK -- MetLife Stadium glowed with pride Monday, a day after it was awarded the coveted FIFA World Cup final match in 2026.
A few miles away at the Candlewyck Diner, New Jerseyans beamed, too.
"I think it's very cool, very cool. I love it," said John Manfredo, from Wallington.
"The World Cup in the Meadowlands? The best!" said Vice Micciche, from Saddle Brook.
"I knew they were coming to America but I didn't know how many games they were going to be playing here. So I'm pretty excited about it," said Orlando Cordero, from Hasbrouck Heights.
Inside Choripan Rodizio in Hackensack, paintings of Argentina's soccer greats fill the walls. Argentina won the World Cup in 2022, setting off the crowd inside the restaurant.
Fans are now ecstatic to have the chance of watching the World Cup Final in person in two years.
"I am very happy it's here, 20 minutes from here," resident Esteban Aguirre said, adding he and his friends plan on going.
Server Gustavo Perez is considered somewhat of a soccer expert, among his peers. His World Cup Final picks include Argentina, of course, and several other teams.
"Germans always, France, England maybe, and Brazil, maybe Portugal, I don't know," Perez said.
Gov. Phil Murphy attended a watch party at the stadium on Sunday when FIFA made it official.
"Needless to say, this is a big deal," said Murphy.
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Murphy and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, thrilled to host the world's biggest game, released a celebratory video.
"You'll see flags for just about every team waving out of cars, bars, apartments. The streets will be bustling with excitement," said Adams.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature three host countries (the U.S., Mexico and Canada), 16 host cities and 104 matches.
Officials said the event is expected to be a financial winner, bringing $2 billion in revenue and 14,000 jobs to the region.
"We were just thinking about renting our houses and Airbnb-ing, all of that, making all this money," said Cordero.
Due to FIFA rules, the stadium will be known as New York New Jersey Stadium throughout the tournament.