2026 FIFA World Cup final to be played at MetLife Stadium

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

FIFA announced the tournament schedule on Sunday. It was a fight between MetLife and AT&T stadium in Dallas for the final. FIFA gave Dallas the most matches with nine. MetLife will host eight, including the biggest prize of them all.

The opener of the 39-day tournament will be played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11.

The U.S. Men’s National Team will play its first match at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on June 12, and then travel to Lumen Field in Seattle, before returning to SoFi for the last leg of the group stage. MetLife does have a Round of 32 and Round of 16 match so maybe the U.S. can play itself into one of those. We won’t know if that’s possible until the group draws are made in spring of 2026.

The third-place game will be at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Last May, FIFA unveiled the official logo for the 2026 World Cup in Times Square.

“I’ve got soccer fever,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said at the unveiling. “I want to give FIFA a big thank you for bringing the World Cup back to New Jersey and New York. From the very beginning, our region has been at the heart of American soccer. We’re ready for the world’s biggest event. Big events are in our blood, they’re in our DNA, and they’re what we do best.”

“New York is the greatest city in the world, so it’s only right that we’re hosting the biggest sporting event in the world,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. “New Yorkers can’t wait to welcome fans from across the globe to our city to experience our world class sights, bright lights, and our unique, diverse culture.”

The 2026 World Cup will be played in 16 host cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and will feature 48 teams.