1990 had Rome, 2006 had Berlin, 2014 had Rio and 2026 will have East Rutherford. So how did Fifa decide on the venue?
The World Cup final is being held in New Jersey? As in the industrial hellscape at the start of the Sopranos? And the Jersey Shore? The kind of place where guys eat sloppy steaks? Well technically, yes. But this is really a New York City final: MetLife stadium is only seven miles from Manhattan, and sits very close to the New York/New Jersey border. That the biggest match in world football will take place in (OK, very near) the biggest city in the United States makes sense [Disclaimer: New Jersey also has friendly people, beautiful countryside, charming small towns and stunning coastline].
And because it’s the World Cup final and it’s in the richest country in the world, no doubt MetLife is a breathtaking venue. Well, the stench that sometimes wafts in from the nearby Meadowlands marshes is breathtaking. But, aside from that, the stadium itself is … fine? There’s nothing offensive about the MetLife – it’s not falling down or anything and it seats plenty of people – around 82,000 or so. But it doesn’t have the history of the Azteca, the venue for the tournament’s opening match, or the space-age feel of Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, which will host two of the United States’ group-stage games.
