World Cup final should be played on biggest stage, say New York and New Jersey

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy are vying to host the final match of the 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

They believe that the world’s largest game should be played on the world’s grandest stage.

Dallas, Houston, and Miami are anticipated to join the competition, but Los Angeles with its advanced $5.5 billion SoFi Stadium seems to be the leading contender, along with New York/New Jersey. However, Adams and Murphy emphasized during a conversation with Reuters that, in their opinion, there is only one option.

“The biggest game should be played on the biggest stage and there is no stage bigger on the globe than this region,” Adams told Reuters.

According to a recent YouGov online survey of professional football fans in the US, it was found that New York/New Jersey was the preferred location for the final. The survey revealed that 21% of respondents wanted the final to be held in New York/New Jersey, followed by Los Angeles with 17% and Miami with 10%. However, 25% of those polled expected Los Angeles to be awarded the marquee match, while New York/New Jersey received 23% of the votes. 

FIFA is expected to announce the locations for marquee games, including the World Cup Final, later this year. New York/New Jersey has experience in co-hosting events, as they successfully staged the 2014 Super Bowl by combining resources from both cities. The plan for the final would be similar, with the 82,000 seat MetLife Stadium hosting the match and New York serving as the central hub for other events.

“If I had to guess we will get eight or nine games no matter what, that’s eight or nine Super Bowls in six weeks with an enormity of scale,” said Murphy. “Obviously we think we are absolutely well suited to host the final.”

“It’s going to be a huge event unlike any other… this is sort of the grand daddy of them all.”

The proposal from New York/New Jersey to FIFA will focus on the region’s multiculturalism and expertise in hosting major events. Additionally, New York is renowned for being one of the largest media markets globally and possesses the necessary infrastructure to accommodate a large influx of visitors.

“No team or player will come to our region and feel homesick,” assured Adams. “You point to a country on the globe and you are going to find a community here.”

“That is our biggest selling point, our diversity and how everyone is going to feel at home playing here.”

Although the New York/New Jersey bid has its clear advantages, there are concerns regarding the recent media coverage of violent crime.

“We are going to tell the real story,” said Adams. 

“We must now go in and get away from the fiction and show people the facts, this is the safest big city in America and we have one of the finest police departments on the globe and we know how to host big events.”

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