Could New Jersey Host The FIFA World Cup In 2026?

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — When thinking about soccer's premier locations and historic venues, East Rutherford, New Jersey, isn't likely to cross into your mind. However, that's not stopping FIFA officials from considering the New York City metro as the host site for the 2026 edition of the World Cup.

On Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio hosted FIFA officials, who toured MetLife Stadium and other area venues as they continued the site selection process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

New York City and New Jersey have presented a joint bid for the 2026 event, hoping to set MetLife as one of the highlighted venues.

“This is an immensely exciting opportunity to showcase our great state to an international audience,” said Governor Phil Murphy.

“The FIFA World Cup is among the premier sporting events in the world and MetLife Stadium is among the country’s best, so we’re excited for the chance to bring the two together.”

The delegation was led by FIFA Vice-President and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani and Colin Smith, FIFA Chief Tournaments and Events Officer. They were joined by representatives from the U.S. Soccer Federation, along with representatives from the Canadian Soccer Association and the Mexican Football Federation.

In addition to touring MetLife Stadium, members of the delegation visited several potential FIFA Fan Fest sites around the region, including Liberty State Park and New York City’s Central Park. Six additional sites would be used as training facilities, including Rutgers University, the Pingry School, Kean University, Red Bull Arena and Training Facility, and the New York City Football Club Training Facility.

New Jersey also has a history with the World Cup, hosting seven games for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and hosting the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The games in 1994 were hosted at Giants Stadium, and included a quarterfinal and semifinal match. As for MetLife, the stadium has a capacity exceeding 82,000, making it one of the largest venues currently under consideration by FIFA, according to the Governor's Office.

Other U.S. cities in the running to host matches are Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

In addition to the U.S. cities, Canada is featuring Edmonton and Toronto as host cities and in Mexico, they are featuring Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first ever jointly hosted by three nations, with the final decision on location due early next year.

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