MetLife Stadium: On Sunday, FIFA unveiled the 2026 FIFA World Cup match schedule. The competition will span sixteen different venues throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada and will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
How many events will be conducted in total across the three host countries?
The inaugural edition of the tournament will feature 48 teams, with the inaugural match taking place at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. This venue has also hosted the tournament’s final two matches, in 1970 and 1986, respectively. Alongside Monterrey and Guadalajara, three Mexican venues will host thirteen matches, whereas Vancouver and Toronto will serve as the locations for Canada’s thirteen events.
Every match from the quarterfinals onwards will occur in the United States, accounting for 78 of the 104 fixtures. Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and AT&T Stadium in Dallas will host the semi-finals. The final match will take place at MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey, on Sunday, July 19th.
The Meadowlands Sports Complex, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is the training facility for the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets. It is situated approximately five miles west of New York City.
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Directions to MetLife Stadium
At this time, NJ Transit provides a rail service from Secaucus Junction, which is accessible via New York Penn Station, to the stadium’s front entrance. In addition, Coach USA provides a transport service between the Port Authority and the MetLife Sports Complex in preparation for MetLife Stadium’s NFL games and other major events. The organizers have not yet made a decision on the public transportation options for spectators of matches during the World Cup, despite the event being more than two years away.
As per the official website of MetLife Stadium, its present capacity for American football and soccer matches is 82,500. However, the proposal for the tournament from the United States, Mexico, and Canada increased that number to 87,157. As a result, MetLife Stadium will rank as the second largest venue in operation, trailing only Estadio Azteca (87,523).
Swift, stones, and soccer
The stadium has hosted college football, WrestleManias 29 and 35, outdoor ice hockey, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, Super Bowl XLVIII (which the Seattle Seahawks won), and various soccer matches since 2010.
The MetLife Stadium featured friendlies, the 2016 Copa América Centenario final, preseason International Champions Cup games, and a June 2012 4-3 triumph over Brazil with Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick.
Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the US last summer had the highest soccer match attendance of 82,262. The biggest soccer game in town, on July 19, 2026, will break that record unless something unusual happens.
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