New Jersey
FIFA, here are some better facts about NJ for fans ahead of the World Cup at MetLife
USMNT opens 2026 World Cup at SoFi Stadium
FIFA announced the schedule for the 2026 World Cup. The U.S. Men’s National Team will open at SoFi Stadium, while MetLife Stadium will host the World Cup final.
Fox – LA
You may have heard the biggest sporting event in the world is coming to New Jersey as MetLife is set to host the FIFA World Cup championship in 2026. People from all over the world will be traveling to the tri-state area to watch some of the best athletes in the world compete for one of the most prestigious prizes in sports.
Those who are coming from all across the globe for this iconic event may be unfamiliar with our home, New Jersey, so here is a little introduction to assist those who may be new to the area. This may be particularly helpful if you’re only going off the facts listed by FIFA. The website still says “New York’s most famous natives include Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen.”
Here’s more info, from locals:
The final is in New Jersey, not New York
On FIFA’s website, their is a section where people can observe the “host countries and cities.” When you click on the icon a list of cities appear that are hosting World Cup games. One may notice that each city has it’s own square, but one square that stands out is titled “New York New Jersey.”
New York New Jersey is not a place. New York is a place, and New Jersey is a place. MetLife stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, not New York. The stadium is home to the New York Giants and the New York Jets, so it may appear confusing but the World Cup finals will be held in New Jersey and not the neighboring New York. MetLife Stadium is very close to the New York City in case tourists want to venture there before the big game. The stadium is about just under 10 miles from New York City by car.
World Cup tickets How to get World Cup tickets 2026 as final will be played at MetLife Stadium
Famous people and soccer stars from New Jersey
New Jersey is home to some of the most famous celebrities in the world. Iconic singers like Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston to well-known actors such as James Gandolfini and John Travaolta all were born and raised in northern New Jersey. One of the greatest athletes of all time, professional basketball player Shaquille O’Neal was also born in New Jersey.
New Jersey is also the home to many professional soccer athletes too. A total of 19 New Jerseyans currently play in the the United States soccer league, MLS, in the 2024 season. Those players include Alejandro Bedoya from Englewood who currently plays for Philadelphia Union, Matt Miazga from Clifton who plays for F.C. Cincinnati and Bento Estrela from Bloomfield who plays for the New York Red Bulls.
The legendary 2019 U.S. Woman’s World Cup team that won the championship had two New Jersey natives on their roster, stars Tobin Heath from Basking Ridge and Carli Lloyd from Delran. Heath has also played for Arsenal and Manchester United in her professional career.
Other women’s soccer stars from New Jersey are Heather O’Reilly from East Brunswick who helped aid the United States woman’s national soccer team to a 2015 World Cup victory, and Christie Pearce Rampone from Ocean County, New Jersey who is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA World Cup champion.
This past year’s United States Woman’s national soccer team that played in the World Cup also had two New Jersey natives competing on the roster, defender Alana Cook of Fair Hills, and goalkeeper Casey Murphyof Bridgewater.
On the men’s U.S. international team, New Jersey was represented by Joe Scally from Lake Grove played in the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Tim Howard, one of the greatest goalkeepers in American history, also hails from the Garden State.
These 18 celebrities were born in North Jersey
Other major sports events
This is not the first major sporting event to be hosted at MetLife Stadium. The Super Bowl, one of America’s biggest sporting event, was held at MetLife Stadium in 2014. The Copa América Centenario Final was also held at MetLife in 2016.
The New Jersey stadium has hosted numerous international soccer matchups, college football games and concerts of the world’s biggest artists. MetLife has seen some legendary performances, and the World Cup final in the summer of 2026 may be the most historic for the venue.
When it was still known as Giants Stadium, MetLife has even hosted World Cup matches before back in 1994.
World Cup 2026 betting odds: Here are the favorites to win the final at MetLife Stadium
Food in New Jersey
New Jersey is home so some classic eateries. You cannot find a place in the world with better bagels. Almost every deli can serve you an iconic bacon or Taylor ham, egg and cheese sandwich.
Northern New Jersey is proud to be one of the most diverse areas in the country. You can find restaurant of so many different cultures from Italian, Spanish, Mediterranean, Asian and so much more within just minutes of MetLife stadium.
Activities in the area
For all those traveling across the world to see this game, or any of the other World Cup games at MetLife as the stadium is set to host eight total World Cup matches, there so many great ways to keep yourself entertained in the northern New Jersey area.
Right across from MetLife Stadium is the American Dream Mall, the second largest shopping mall in the United States. The enormous complex has plenty of activities such as the Nickelodeon Universe amusement park, the DreamWorks water park and the Big Snow ski resort. The mall of course is home to so many shops and dining experiences.
Despite its urban centric location, North Jersey has some great outdoor activities around MetLife Stadium. New Jersey offers some great hiking locations such as Ramapo Valley County reservation, about 25 miles from MetLife Stadium.
With so much to do in New Jersey, what makes this state even better is that it is so close to one of the most iconic cities in the world, New York City. Those who are visiting will find it convenient how MetLife is just a short trip away from Manhattan. When in the city, World Cup watchers can see a Broadway show, visit some iconic tourist attractions like the Statue of Liberty or just chill in Washington Square Park.
New Jersey cannot wait to welcome so many visitors as the Garden State is set to host one of the most iconic events in the whole world.
Companies might easily flee New York for New Jersey if they find that the new congestion pricing toll in Midtown is hurting their business and workers too much, Garden State Sen. George Helmy said Sunday.
The $9 charge for cars and up to nearly $22 for trucks is expected to have an outsized effect on commuting New Jerseyans and firms that do business in Manhattan, Helmy said on CBS New York’s “The Point with Marcia Kramer.”
The senator said the toll — which proponents claim will cut traffic and fund the perennially cash-strapped public transit Metropolitan Transportation Authority — might cause some New York businesses to move across the Hudson, where workers and customers won’t have to fork over the extra cash.
“You’ve seen over the last two years more and more New York City-based organizations, including business groups, say that this is bad for business and bad for working families in the city,” Helmy said.
“A lot of the employees who come to the city every day are New Jerseyans, mostly north New Jerseyans, or [they] live in our shore communities,” the senator said.
“And if they can get [their] businesses to move into Jersey City or Hoboken, where we’re already seeing some of that influx, I think it’s going to be good for New Jersey,” he said.
But he reiterated that congestion pricing as a whole is “bad for New Jersey, and it’s bad for the city.”
Several Garden State officials, including Gov. Phil Murphy, Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Rep. Mikie Sherrill, have called the new tolls a mistake.
“This plan is a tax on New Jersey families meant to force New Jerseyans to pay for MTA upgrades — all without getting a cent back for NJ TRANSIT,” said Sherrill, who along with Gottheimer is running to replace Murphy next year.
“Make no mistake: New Jersey will not sit back and take it quietly as New York uses our commuters as a meal ticket for the MTA,” she said.
There are already nearly a dozen lawsuits challenging the pricey plan, which recently cleared a key legislative hurdle and is set to start Jan. 5, CBS said.
Earlier this month, lawyers for the New Jersey governor urged a Newark federal judge to rule on one of the biggest lawsuits aimed at nixing congestion pricing — a plan that Hochul proposed, then paused before the election, then moved ahead on again right afterward.
“I have consistently expressed openness to a form of congestion pricing that meaningfully protects the environment and does not put unfair burdens upon hardworking New Jersey commuters.” Murphy has said about the toll. “Today’s plan woefully fails that test.”
It has been decades since Lawside was subject to a racist attack, according to Linda Shockley, president of the Lawnside Historical Society. Shockley said the last recorded incident was shortly after the borough’s incorporation in 1926. During that time, several residents of Woodcrest burned crosses on several occasions when that white neighborhood was unsuccessful in trying to secede from Lawnside.
Shockley, who is a member of WHYY’s Community Advisory Board, spoke to the crowd about the borough’s history dating back to the colonial period when Lawnside was known as Free Haven.
“We were taught in our schools the proud history of this community, founded by people who believed in freedom,” she said. “These people followed that desire to be free. It’s a natural human desire to be free.”
NewJerseyDevils.com is the official web site of the New Jersey Devils, a member team of the National Hockey League (“NHL”). NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2024 New Jersey Devils and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.
Nebraska Football Targeting California Commit
OSU Basketball: Cowboys Close Charleston Classic with Loss to Nevada
New Hampshire State Troopers investigating fatal crash on the Interstate 93 ramp
Companies could easily flee NY for NJ over new congestion toll: senator
A New Mexico city has reached a $20 million settlement in the death of a grandmother fatally shot in her car by an officer | CNN
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Blinken questioned for State Department hosting in-house therapy sessions after Trump win
Voters in Switzerland say no to bigger motorways
Two killed and one injured as plane crashes in Colorado mountain range
Fred Harris, former Democratic senator from Oklahoma and presidential candidate, dies at 94
‘Optical illusion’: Key takeaways from COP29
-
Business1 week agoColumn: Molly White's message for journalists going freelance — be ready for the pitfalls
-
Science5 days agoTrump nominates Dr. Oz to head Medicare and Medicaid and help take on 'illness industrial complex'
-
Politics7 days agoTrump taps FCC member Brendan Carr to lead agency: 'Warrior for Free Speech'
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25739950/247386_Elon_Musk_Open_AI_CVirginia.jpg "Inside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI")
Technology6 days agoInside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI
-
Lifestyle1 week agoSome in the U.S. farm industry are alarmed by Trump's embrace of RFK Jr. and tariffs
-
World7 days agoProtesters in Slovakia rally against Robert Fico’s populist government
-
News7 days agoThey disagree about a lot, but these singers figure out how to stay in harmony
-
News7 days agoGaetz-gate: Navigating the President-elect's most baffling Cabinet pick