MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the World Cup final in 2026… as AT&T Stadium in Dallas is snubbed by FIFA and Gianni Infantino

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey – just outside New York City – has been chosen as the venue for the 2026 World Cup final.

FIFA’s decision means AT&T Stadium in Dallas has been snubbed, despite reports last month it was the favorite.

MetLife Stadium – home of New York’s two NFL teams, the Jets and Giants – is actually based in Jersey but boasts the Manhattan skyline as its backdrop.

Its regular capacity is narrowly larger than the AT&T at 82,500 but has no room to expand further.

FIFA made the announcement Sunday at a Miami television studio on Sunday, where they also allocated the opener of the 39-day tournament to Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on June 11.

Reports last month suggested AT&T Stadium in Dallas would play host to the final in 2026

The next World Cup is going to be expanded from 32 teams to 48 for the first time, with a total of 104 games to be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

A nation will need to play eight matches to win the title, up from seven since 1982. 

Kim Kardashian and her son Saint announced the U.S. team will play its opener at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on June 12, then travel to Seattle’s Lumen Field and finish the group stage at SoFi.

Despite missing out on the final, AT&T Stadium has the most matches of any venue with nine, and officials there said one of the games is a semifinal. 

Officials at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta said the other semifinal was being played there. FIFA officials did not publicly explain their site-decision process.

Canada, meanwhile, will play its opening first-round match in Toronto on June 12, then its following two games in Vancouver.

Other U.S. sites are Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts; NRG Stadium in Houston; Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri; Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the opening game would be played in Mexico City

Matches in Mexico also will be played at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey and Estadio Akron in Guadalajara.

All 11 of the U.S. stadiums are home to NFL teams. Hard Rock Stadium will host this year’s Copa América final on July 14, while MetLife was the site of the 2016 Copa América final.

When the U.S. hosted the 24-nation, 52-game tournament in 1994, the final was at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and the opener at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

With the additional teams, the length of the tournament will grow from 29 days in the shortened 2022 schedule in Qatar and 32 days for the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Only one match will involve a team that has not had at least three off days.

FIFA divided the group stage into East, Central and West regions and intended to make travel shorter for group winners.