Murphy Believes Meadowlands has 50-50 Shot to Host World Cup Final

By Jim Pytell, Managing Editor On Oct 30, 2023

Last week at an event sponsored by the Meadowlands Chamber, Gov. Phil Murphy said he believes there is now a 50-50 chance that New Jersey will host the 2026 World Cup Final Match at MetLife Stadium.

The Meadowlands is expected to host at least eight World Cup games during the tournament in the summer of 2026, though hosting the final match is particularly sought after given the worldwide appeal and potential economic benefits that would follow. One study by the Boston Consulting Group estimates host cities could benefit $160 million to $620 million in incremental economic activity.

Still, Murphy said that hosting any World Cup game is significant, calling the at-least eight games New Jersey will get the equivalent of hosting eight Super Bowls in six weeks.

“We will greatly benefit from eight games regardless of what that schedule will be for us,” said Jim Kirkos, president and CEO of the Meadowlands Chamber.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar saw 2.45 million spectators across all venues for the first 48 matches of the group stage of the tournament, which marked the second highest figure after only the 1994 tournament, which, perhaps not surprisingly, was held in the United States.

It was originally thought that New Jersey was competing with Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium for a bid at hosting the final, but a dispute between FIFA and the Kroenke family (owners of SoFi Stadium) over deal terms, has put hosting matches at SoFi in jeopardy altogether.

According to Murphy, Dallas is the other city that is being considered to host the final.

“We are still competing aggressively for the finals. I think we have got the compelling case that you need to get [that match] here,” Murphy said, adding that at minimum, he believes New Jersey would get to host a semi-final match.

The governor pointed to the region’s ability to host numerous fan-fest-style events as an attractive draw, including venues like Liberty State Park, Times Square, Central Park, and Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

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