Guide to the 2026 World Cup Final Venue

On 4th February 2024, MetLife Stadium was announced by FIFA as the host of the 2026 World Cup final. The New Jersey/New York-based stadium narrowly won the battle to host the final, ahead of SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and AT&T Stadium near Dallas, Texas.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and New York City Mayor Eric Adams were critical in securing the stadium as the host venue for the final. Reasons such as the accessibility of the ground, the transport links in both cities, and the amount of accommodation in New York were cited as the main reasons for the successful pitch.

Key Stadium Details

Located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, MetLife Stadium is mainly used for American Football, and is the home ground for both the New York Giants and New York Jets. These two teams play in different conferences, though, with the Giants playing in the National Football Conference and the Jets competing in the American Football Conference. One of the most memorable moments ever at MetLife Stadium was Odell Beckham Jr.’s 43-yard catch for the New York Giants against the Dallas Cowboys in November 2014, which is widely regarded as one of the best in NFL history.

The stadium opened in 2010 at a construction cost of over $2bn (£1.6bn), making it the second most expensive stadium in the United States, behind SoFi Stadium, which reportedly cost over $5bn. A striking feature of the stadium is the four LED display screens dotted in each corner. These screens measure 30 inches by 118 inches and provide spectators with different views of the action from inside the arena.

MetLife’s total capacity is 82,500, but it can reach up to 83,500 for American football matches. The stadium includes a lower, middle, and upper bowl to house spectators. The record attendance for an American Football game was on 29th October 2023, when the New York Giants played the New York Jets in front of 83,367. Meanwhile, 82,262 fans attended the pre-season match between Manchester United and Arsenal in July 2022 – this remains the highest attendance at the stadium for a football (soccer) match.

Seating Chart/Seat View

Fans in all parts of the ground are treated to a unique spectacle with the LED screens visible from every seat, as well as various hospitality opportunities. On the ‘Seating & Maps’ section of their website, MetLife Stadium adds that “Throughout the game, fans are treated to increased leg room and seat width.” There are also four club lounges and 10,000 seats for fans looking to take advantage of the hospitality spaces.

You can access the Seating Chart here, which highlights the different entry points and suites across the stadium. Before visiting MetLife Stadium, it is also worth checking out the Interactive Map. This allows you to take a look at every concourse and shows you the various concession stores located across the stadium. Since it was opened in 2010, the facility has been one of the most technologically advanced in the world, which includes the newly announced point-of-sale transactions at the stadium in partnership with Shift4. In February 2024, Ron VanDe Veen, President and CEO of the Stadium said:

Parking

Parking at MetLife Stadium opens five hours before an event and closes two hours after an event has finished. If ticket holders arrive earlier than five hours before the scheduled start time of an event, they will not be permitted to enter the parking areas on the complex. It is also worth noting that overnight parking at MetLife Stadium is not allowed. Pre-paid parking permits are also not available to buy for non-NFL events, but this might change for games that take place in the 2026 World Cup.

Accessible parking for guests with disabilities can be found in Lots E, F, and G. To gain access to these parking lots, ticket holders must have a valid ADA license plate or a valid ADA hang tag. Staff at the stadium will help direct ticket holders with disabilities to their parking space. Guests with disabilities must also be dropped off at Lot C. The other drop-off and pick-up spots for fans are located between parking lots D and E, which are free of charge. Information about General Event parking can be found on the website, with maps highlighting the various parking lots located just outside the stadium.

Historic Events at MetLife Stadium

As well as hosting the Super Bowl in 2014, MetLife Stadium has a proven track record of hosting big sporting events and popular music concerts. On two occasions, MetLife Stadium has been the venue for WrestleMania. The first of these was on 7th April 2013 when 80,676 people attended the biggest event in wrestling. Six years later, on the same date, MetLife Stadium hosted Wrestlemania 35, which saw 82,265 attend the event. MetLife Stadium has also hosted outdoor ice hockey games, with the most recent match between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders being played in front of nearly 80,000 fans.

MetLife Stadium has also hosted numerous high-profile music concerts since opening in 2010. Taylor Swift, One Direction, Coldplay, and Ed Sheeran have all performed here. Notably, in June 2023, nearly 90,000 spectators watched Ed Sheeran perform at the arena, which broke the attendance record at the stadium. Only a month before, Taylor Swift had broken the attendance record during her three-day Eras Tour.

The first football match at MetLife Stadium was on 7th May 2010, in an international friendly between Mexico and Ecuador in front of 77,507 spectators. Since 2010, the United States have played four matches at MetLife Stadium. When they faced Argentina in March 2011, nearly 79,000 fans attended the game, which remains the most for a USA match.

Club matches have also taken place at the New Jersey-based venue. It has been a popular destination for European teams’ pre-season tours of America in June and July. Heavyweight clashes such as Liverpool against Manchester City, and Real Madrid against Bayern Munich, have both been hosted at MetLife Stadium.

The 2016 Copa America final took place at MetLife Stadium. It was contested between Chile and Argentina, with Chile winning 4-2 in a penalty shootout after it finished 0-0 in normal time. It will also host three matches in the upcoming Copa America this summer, including two group games and a semi-final match on 9th July 2024. The first of these matches sees the defending champions, Argentina, against Chile on 25th June, followed by Uruguay against Bolivia two days later.

Information gathered from Transfermarkt, Sportskeeda,MetLife Stadium.