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2026 FIFA World Cup final

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2026 FIFA World Cup final
Aerial image of a large American football stadium with three tiers of stands and no roof; the stands are empty and several pieces of equipment are parked around its exterior.
Aerial view of MetLife Stadium in 2014, the host venue for the final
Event2026 FIFA World Cup
DateJuly 19, 2026 (2026-07-19)
VenueMetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will be the final match of the 2026 World Cup, the 23rd edition of the premier competition for men's national soccer teams organized by FIFA. The match is scheduled to be played at MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York City, on July 19, 2026.

Background

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FIFA announced the date of the final on March 16, 2023.[1] The host of the final, MetLife Stadium, was announced by FIFA on February 4, 2024.[2] The announcement was originally anticipated for late 2023, but was delayed amid planning difficulties.[3]

Venue

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The selected host venue for the final is MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, 10 miles (16 km) west of New York City.[4] During the tournament, FIFA will refer to the venue as "New York New Jersey Stadium" due to their sponsorship policies.[5] MetLife Stadium has primarily been used by the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) since it opened in 2009.[4] It has a listed capacity of 82,500 seats and previously hosted Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 and the Copa América Centenario final in 2016.[6][7] MetLife Stadium will also host the FIFA Club World Cup final in 2025.[8]

The stadium is scheduled host seven other matches during the World Cup. During the tournament, the Meadowlands Rail Line, a shuttle train with no regular service,[9] and a new, $35 million busway are planned to be used to transport attendees from the nearest transit hub at Secaucus Junction.[4][10]

The United 2026 bid—composed of the United States, Mexico, and Canada—was chosen to host the 2026 World Cup by FIFA during the 68th FIFA Congress on June 13, 2018. The bid planned to use 16 host cities spread across the three countries, with all matches from the quarterfinals onward played in the United States.[11][12] The venue for the final was not confirmed at the time, with MetLife Stadium named an early frontrunner due to its proximity to New York City and prior experience as host for major sporting events.[13][14][15] Its main competitor was SoFi Stadium, a new stadium in Inglewood, California, near Los Angeles, which was among the ten U.S. stadiums announced in June 2022. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the Los Angeles area venue that hosted the 1994 men's final and 1999 women's final, was not chosen for the tournament due to its age.[16]

SoFi Stadium was designed primarily for American football with a field that is 69 yards (63 m) wide—narrower than FIFA's recommended dimensions.[17] According to media reports, the stadium's owner, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, was also unhappy with the revenue-sharing deal proposed by FIFA and threatened to cancel their plans to host World Cup matches.[18][19] In early 2023, AT&T Stadium in the Dallas area emerged as a potential host for the final due to its higher capacity of 90,000 seats and scheduled renovations to accommodate a wider field.[20][21] In January 2024, MetLife Stadium announced similar plans to widen its field for the World Cup by removing 1,740 seats in the corners.[22] According to The Athletic, the selection of MetLife Stadium came as a "surprise" to local officials, who organized a small viewing party for the announcement. Dallas's bid had been favored—and rumored as the winner in January—and included a simulcast of the match at two nearby venues to increase ticket revenue.[23]

Entertainment

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On September 28, 2024, FIFA announced that Global Citizen would co-produce a halftime show for the World Cup final, similar to those in the NFL's Super Bowl. It will be the first halftime show in the history of the FIFA World Cup.[24]

Match

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Details

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Winner Match 101Match 104Winner Match 102

Match rules

References

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  1. ^ "Date set for FIFA World Cup 26 final" (Press release). FIFA. March 16, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  2. ^ Dominski, Michael (February 4, 2024). "World Cup 2026 schedule announcement live updates: Latest as FIFA selects host city for final". The Athletic. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  3. ^ Panja, Tariq (September 15, 2023). "FIFA Delays Have Cities Worried About 2026 World Cup Plans". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Blum, Ronald (February 4, 2024). "2026 World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  5. ^ Bowman, Emma (February 4, 2024). "The 2026 World Cup final will take place at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium". NPR. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  6. ^ Waldstein, David (February 9, 2024). "'New York New Jersey' Got the World Cup Final. Now Comes the Hard Part". The New York Times. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  7. ^ Anzidei, Melaine; Rampling, Ali (February 4, 2024). "New Jersey's MetLife Stadium wins the 2026 World Cup final". The Athletic. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  8. ^ Deen, Safid (September 28, 2024). "2025 FIFA Club World Cup final set: Where games will be played in U.S." USA Today. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  9. ^ Nessen, Stephen (February 6, 2024). "Is NJ Transit up for hosting the World Cup in 2026? Commuters are skeptical". Gothamist. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  10. ^ Higgs, Larry (February 6, 2024). "NJ Transit will operate 'on steroids' during the World Cup, Murphy says. Here's the plan". NJ.com. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  11. ^ Panja, Tariq; Das, Andrew (June 13, 2018). "World Cup 2026: United States, Canada and Mexico Win Bid to Be Host". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Belam, Martin (June 13, 2018). "Three hosts, 48 teams: how the 2026 World Cup will work". The Guardian. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  13. ^ Goff, Steven (June 16, 2018). "2026 World Cup host cities: Ranking the contenders". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  14. ^ Conway, Richard (June 13, 2018). "World Cup 2026: How US, Canada & Mexico won right to host tournament". BBC Sport. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  15. ^ Sherman, Ted (September 23, 2021). "Will MetLife Stadium be home to the 2026 World Cup finals? N.Y. and N.J. hope to score a slot with FIFA". NJ.com. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  16. ^ "World Cup 2026 host cities confirmed: What you need to know about the 16 venues". FIFA. June 16, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  17. ^ Baxter, Kevin (August 3, 2022). "Leagues Cup friendlies showing L.A. is a soccer market". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  18. ^ Crafton, Adam (September 21, 2023). "Kroenkes in dispute with FIFA over SoFi Stadium deal for 2026 World Cup". The Athletic. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  19. ^ Bushnell, Henry (November 2, 2023). "LA-FIFA standoff at center of 2026 World Cup's first battle: Who's paying for it?". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  20. ^ Nudelstejer, Abraham (March 15, 2023). "FIFA delegation visits AT&T Stadium to offer insight on World Cup-prompted renovations". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  21. ^ Wilen, Holden (January 18, 2024). "Some think DFW has already secured 2026 World Cup final". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  22. ^ "MetLife Stadium to remove 1,740 seats in bid to host 2026 World Cup final". The Guardian. Associated Press. January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  23. ^ Anzidei, Melanie; Crafton, Adam (February 5, 2024). "Inside the World Cup 2026 final host city selection: Why New Jersey was picked over Dallas". The Athletic. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  24. ^ "Global Citizen to Produce Halftime Show for FIFA World Cup Final, Starting in 2026". Variety. September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
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