New Jersey to host FIFA World Cup Final 2026, competition to begin on June 11
FIFA (Source: X)
The 2026 World Cup final will be place in New Jersey at the stadiums of the National Football League’s New York Giants and New York Jets, FIFA stated on Sunday, along with the full calendar for the global soccer showcase.
The 48-team World Cup, which will end on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Canada will host a total of 13 games, with 10 in the group stage divided evenly between Toronto and Vancouver. Mexico will also play 13 games, including ten in the group stage in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. The rest of the tournament will take place in 11 locations around the United States. Toronto, Mexico City, and Los Angeles will host their respective national teams’ first matches.
The open-air stadium, which was built in 2010 and has a capacity of 82,500, hosted the Copa America Centenario final in 2016 when Chile defeated Lionel Messi‘s Argentina for the second time in a penalty shootout. FIFA did not specify kickoff times for the games.
FIFA World Cup will set new records and an indelible legacy – FIFA President Gianni Infantino
Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca will host the tournament’s opening match on June 11, making Mexico the first country to stage the World Cup for the third time. The first day will also include a match in Guadalajara.
“The most inclusive and impactful FIFA World Cup ever is no longer a dream but a reality that will take shape in the form of 104 matches in 16 state-of-the-art stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the USA,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino was quoted as saying. “From the opening match at the iconic Estadio Azteca to the spectacular final in New York New Jersey, players and fans have been at the core of our extensive planning for this game-changing tournament… that will not only set new records but also leave an indelible legacy,” he added.
Mexico hosted the World Cup in 1970 and 1986, with the finals staged in Estadio Azteca when Pele’s Brazil defeated Italy 4-1 and Diego Maradona’s Argentina overcame West Germany 3-2.
The first match in Canada, which has never hosted a World Cup game, will take place on June 12 in Toronto at the home of the city’s Major League Soccer franchise, while the first game in the United States will be held in Los Angeles at the home of the NFL’s Rams.
