The 2026 World Cup final is at MetLife Stadium on 19 July, kickoff 3pm Eastern. It is the largest venue in the tournament at 82,500, joint-most-used with Dallas at eight matches, and for FIFA matchdays it operates under the tournament name New York New Jersey Stadium.
The rest of the year it hosts the New York Giants and the New York Jets. Two NFL tenants, an artificial surface, and a building geometry that was not designed for soccer. FIFA's grass-overlay programme drops a hybrid natural field on top of the FieldTurf six weeks before kickoff, kept viable by grow lights and a temperature-controlled root zone.
The 2026 fixtures
| Date | Kickoff (ET) | Match | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 13 Jun | 18:00 | Brazil vs Morocco | Group Stage – 1 |
| Tue 16 Jun | 15:00 | France vs Senegal | Group Stage – 1 |
| Mon 22 Jun | 20:00 | Norway vs Senegal | Group Stage – 2 |
| Thu 25 Jun | 16:00 | Ecuador vs Germany | Group Stage – 3 |
| Sat 27 Jun | 17:00 | Panama vs England | Group Stage – 3 |
| Round of 32 | TBD | – | – |
| Round of 16 | TBD | – | – |
| Sun 19 Jul | 15:00 | FINAL | – |
Five group-stage fixtures drawn. The Round of 32 and Round of 16 ties at MetLife resolve from the bracket after group play. The final is fixed at 3pm Eastern on 19 July.
Brazil
Morocco
France
Senegal
NorwaySenegal
Ecuador
GermanyMetLife Stadium
82,500 capacity
View stadium →History
The current MetLife opened on 10 April 2010, replacing the old Giants Stadium that sat on the same patch of Meadowlands from 1976 to 2010. The old ground hosted seven matches of the 1994 World Cup, including the round-of-16 game on 4 July where Romário's Brazil beat the USA 1–0. Pelé played his last competitive match there for the New York Cosmos against Santos in 1977. Live Aid's New York leg in 1985 ran on the same pitch.
The new building cost $1.6 billion, designed by EwingCole, jointly financed by the Giants and Jets. It was the most expensive stadium ever built at opening. Super Bowl XLVIII (Seahawks 43, Broncos 8) on 2 February 2014 remains the only outdoor cold-weather Super Bowl in NFL history. Lionel Messi played here for Argentina at the 2024 Copa América, and again for Inter Miami against the Red Bulls in 2025.
The grass overlay
FIFA requires natural turf for the World Cup. MetLife's FieldTurf is unsuitable. The solution, in use across most of the US venues, is a hybrid grass field laid over the artificial surface six weeks before kickoff. Mowing, watering, lighting and root-zone temperature controls keep it viable through the eight-match schedule. The same system was tested at the 2024 Copa América and at FIFA Club World Cup matches in 2025.
Quick facts
| Capacity | 82,500 |
| Opened | 10 April 2010 |
| Architect | EwingCole |
| Owners | New York Giants & New York Jets |
| Cost at build | $1.6 billion |
| Permanent surface | FieldTurf Vertex |
| WC surface | Hybrid natural grass overlay |
| Address | 1 MetLife Stadium Drive, East Rutherford, NJ |
Getting there
NJ Transit's Meadowlands Rail line runs from Secaucus Junction directly to a platform at the stadium, every 15 minutes on event days. From Penn Station in Manhattan, any NJT train to Secaucus (5–10 minutes) then transfer. 25–30 minutes door-to-door from midtown.
NJ Transit also runs the 351 bus from Port Authority Bus Terminal direct to MetLife on event days. 30–45 minutes depending on Lincoln Tunnel traffic.
Driving is possible (28,000 spaces, $40–$80 per spot) but slower than the train almost every time. Route 3 and the Lincoln Tunnel jam up early on event days.
From the airports: Newark (EWR) is 25 minutes by car and roughly an hour via NJT through Secaucus. JFK is 90 minutes by combined AirTrain–LIRR–NJT or 45 by car off-peak. LaGuardia is car-only in practice.
The exit
At full time, around 80,000 fans aim at a four-platform rail station. Post-match queues regularly run an hour-plus. Move on the whistle and beat the wave, sit in the concourse for half an hour while it clears, or pre-book an Uber from the American Dream pickup zone next door rather than the stadium lot.
Food and drink
The stadium is in a parking lot. There is no walkable neighbourhood. Pre-match life happens inside the lot, at American Dream (the mall complex next door), or back across the river.
American Dream
Mall & food complex5 min walk
Food court, sit-down restaurants, bars, indoor ski slope. The default plan if you arrive more than two hours early.
Open in Maps →Redd's Restaurant & Bar
Sports bar10 min drive
Carlstadt, NJ. Burgers, beer, NFL on every screen. Best by car or Uber from the train.
Open in Maps →Hoboken (Washington Street)
Pre-match neighbourhood20 min via NJT/PATH
Eat and drink on Washington Street, then NJT to Meadowlands.
Open in Maps →Inside the stadium, the food slate is standard American venue (burgers, sausage and peppers, pretzels) with an expanded international concession set for World Cup matches. Cashless throughout.
Seats
Lower bowl behind a goal for the tunnel view and atmosphere. 200-level corners are the best price-to-sightline trade. Upper deck for the final, or if the price is right.
Tickets
Final tickets ran through FIFA's lottery in late 2025. Resale is heavily restricted and routed through FIFA's official channel. Group-stage and round-of-32 resale is more open. Check on-sale dates in spring 2026.
Weather
Mid-July in the New Jersey Meadowlands routinely sits at 32°C with high humidity. The clear-bag policy is strict.
Pair it with
Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ) is 20 minutes by PATH from Manhattan and a good midweek MLS option. Yankee Stadium hosted NYCFC home games for a decade and remains worth a visit. Hartford Athletic in the USL Championship is a day-trip if you have an extra evening.
Track this ground
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