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.
Rates would gradually increase by about $16 a year after five years. Any other rate increase would require approval from New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities. New Jersey American Water would offer senior discounts, and assist customers struggling to pay their bills, McDonough said.
Still, some residents say they’re skeptical, and are encouraging neighbors to vote against the sale by handing out flyers outside the local ShopRite and assembling yard signs throughout town. Meanwhile, American Water has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on canvassing efforts, and advertisements.
Resident Dena Hendry said she doesn’t believe American Water won’t pass sale costs down to Gloucester Township residents.
“It’s money that I’d rather spend making memories, and doing things with my family. It’s an unnecessary cost,” she said. “And, everything is going up. The price of groceries is going up.”
Those who oppose the sale argue the town’s sewer system doesn’t need saving. Unlike other small towns that sold their water systems because of failures or contaminated drinking water, Gloucester Township’s sewer system is in decent shape, according to a 2023 engineering report.
Residents voice distrust in local leaders
Residents have become suspicious about the motivations behind the sale, as their mayor, David Mayer, is the director of government affairs for New Jersey American Water. Mayer has recused himself from the acquisition, however, and McDonough said the mayor has never been involved in any conversation about privatizing the town’s sewer system.
Residents also accuse township officials of being fiscally irresponsible, and say they don’t trust them to spend the proceeds wisely.
Gloucester Township’s business administrator, Tom Cardis, said the town’s debt was accrued because of necessary expenditures for road repairs, law enforcement and other infrastructure projects.
Cardis said not only would the sale pay off the debt, but it would also help the town reduce property taxes, and pay for improved recreational opportunities for residents.
“The proceeds of the sale are going towards helping the community at large,” he said. “It’s reducing taxes, and stabilizing taxes.”
If the referendum fails, the city may raise the sewer bills, Cardis said. The town’s utilities authority, which was dissolved last year, also had not raised rates since 2002. Though the sewer system isn’t currently failing, its future maintenance would require a significant investment, Cardis said.
Residents campaigning against the sale say they understand rates may rise if the referendum fails, but believe residents will have greater say in how the sewer system is operated.
“If our bills do [increase] there’s not a darn thing anybody can do about it,” Denise Coyne said about privatization. “It’s not like we could go purchase our sewer back. It’s gone forever.”
SOMERVILLE, N.J. — A boil water advisory has been lifted in part of Somerset County following a water main break earlier this week.
New Jersey American Water customers in Bridgewater, Raritan Borough and Somerville no longer have to boil their tap water before using it, the utility announced Friday.
The utility says testing shows the water quality is safe.
Water main break in Somerville causes outage
On Wednesday morning, a 36-inch water main break on Route 206 in Somerville caused a loss of pressure in the area and a boil water advisory was issued, New Jersey American Water said.
Some parts of the borough lost service entirely for a period of time, forcing some schools and businesses to close.
Friday morning, crews replaced the section of the water main impacted by the break, according to New Jersey American Water.
The same water main broke back on June 30, 2023. Residents in Bridgewater, Raritan Borough and Somerville were under a boil water advisory after that break, too, and some businesses had to close.
“It’s frustrating because this is the second time within a year that this has happened. Last time, we were closed for a day and a half,” the owner of a Somerville pizzeria said Thursday.
The restaurant owner said they lost money by closing up shop, and even though they were allowed to reopen with restrictions while the boil water advisory was ongoing, they had to spend hundreds of dollars on bottled drinks and ice.
In a statement, New Jersey American Water said they are working on a permanent solution to replace the main, with a 30-inch bypass main scheduled to begin construction in early 2025.
The following is a list of all top lists articles in these New Jersey counties published from Oct. 21 to Oct. 27.
NJ.com publishes weekly reports on recent real estate sales across the Garden State, as well as top sales by county and other real estate news, from unique homes for sale to trends.
10 most expensive homes sold in Atlantic County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Burlington County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Camden County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Cape May County, Oct. 14-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Cumberland County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Essex County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Gloucester County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Mercer County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Middlesex County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Monmouth County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Morris County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Ocean County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Passaic County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Salem County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Somerset County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Sussex County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Union County, Oct. 21-27
10 most expensive homes sold in Warren County, Oct. 21-27
Real Estate Newswire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data.
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