FIFA revealed the date and host city for the 2026 World Cup final, announcing they have selected MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., taking place on July 19, 2026.

Widespread speculation was that either MetLife Stadium or AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, would be chosen as the final’s venue, but officials chose the Jets and Giants home stadium, which will be planting new natural grass for the event, as FIFA requires all of its games be played on natural turf.  As reported by the Associated Press, MetLife Stadium also plans to remove 1,740 seats to widen its field, per FIFA’s requirements.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on X: “As a lifelong soccer fan, I am thrilled to announce that the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final will be hosted by New Jersey and New York City! See you in 2026.” 

The World Cup’s opening match locations and host city allocations for each of the nations also were revealed Sunday, with the opening match scheduled to be played on June 11 in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. (Mexico previously hosted the World Cup in 1970 and 1986).

The United States’s first match in the 2026 World Cup will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif, on June 12, 2026. The U.S. also will play a group stage match in Seattle on June 19 before returning to Inglewood for a June 25 match.

Editorial credit: NYCStock / Shutterstock.com