MetLife Stadium, Fan Zones, and Getting There: Your World Cup 2026 NY/NJ Guide

Your complete guide to World Cup 2026 at MetLife Stadium

Eight matches. One Final. All of it at New York/New Jersey Stadium — the same MetLife that hosts the Giants and Jets — across five weeks this summer. Whether you have a ticket, a fan zone reservation, or just want to follow the action from your own borough, here's everything worth knowing before the tournament kicks off June 13.

Match schedule at MetLife

The FIFA World Cup 2026 runs June 11 through July 19 across 16 venues in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. MetLife Stadium hosts eight of those matches, including the Final on July 19 at 3:00 PM ET — the first World Cup Final ever held in the New York metropolitan area. 1

Date	Kickoff (ET)	Matchup	Stage
Sat Jun 13	6:00 PM	Brazil vs. Morocco	Group Stage
Tue Jun 16	3:00 PM	France vs. Senegal	Group Stage
Mon Jun 22	8:00 PM	Norway vs. Senegal	Group Stage
Thu Jun 25	4:00 PM	Ecuador vs. Germany	Group Stage
Sat Jun 27	5:00 PM	Panama vs. England	Group Stage
Tue Jun 30	5:00 PM	TBD	Round of 32
Sun Jul 5	4:00 PM	TBD	Round of 16
Sun Jul 19	3:00 PM	TBD	FINAL

The group stage slate is genuinely stacked. Brazil vs. Morocco on opening weekend, France vs. Senegal three days later, then Germany and England both appearing in the final two group fixtures. FIFA named New York/New Jersey the Final host on December 6, 2025 — MetLife will hold roughly 78,000 spectators for each match. 2

Packed stadium at night filled with soccer fans waving flags and banners under floodlights — A sold-out stadium atmosphere — MetLife is expected to host near-capacity crowds for every match, including 78,000 for the Final. 1

Fan zones across the region

Fan zone venues spread across NYC boroughs and New Jersey for World Cup 2026 — Official NYNJ fan zones span all five boroughs plus Harrison, NJ — most are free to attend. 3

You don't need a match ticket to be part of it. The official NY/NJ host committee has set up six free fan events spread across all five NYC boroughs and Harrison, NJ — most running well beyond the group stage. 3

Jersey Fan Hub — Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, NJ Select dates June 11 – July 19. Ticketed. The purpose-built soccer venue across the Hudson offers organized match viewing, live programming, and the closest proximity outside the stadium itself.

Queens Group Stage HQ — USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens June 11 – June 27. Ticketed. The same complex that hosts the US Open becomes a group-stage watch party venue, running through the final group fixtures.

Fan Village at Rockefeller Center — 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Midtown Manhattan July 6 – 19 (knockout stages only). Free, open to the public. The skating rink transforms into a viewing pitch with large screens; the celebration extends across the three-block campus including Top of the Rock.

Brooklyn Fan Zone — Brooklyn Bridge Park, East River Waterfront Select dates June 13 – July 19. The Adidas-sponsored zone pairs match broadcasts with food, music, and programming against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.

Bronx Fan Zone — Bronx Terminal Market, South Bronx June 13 – 14. Concentrated around the opening weekend Brazil-Morocco match.

Staten Island Fan Zone — SIUH Community Park June 29 – July 2. A family-oriented neighborhood setup timed to the Round of 32 weekend.

All boroughs, all stages of the tournament. Check the official fan events page for the latest ticket links and day-of programming updates — schedules shifted frequently in the weeks leading up to June 13.

Getting to MetLife: what changed and what it costs

This is where most fans will spend the most time planning, and where new restrictions announced in early June created real friction.

Public transit is the only practical option for most fans

FIFA and the host committee have designated MetLife a transportation-first venue — the only World Cup host stadium where FIFA controls all on-site parking lots. There will be no general spectator parking on stadium property on match days. 4

NJ Transit is the flagship option. Trains run from New York Penn Station and New Jersey stations, all connecting through Secaucus Junction where fans board a match-day-only direct train or bus to the stadium. Round-trip tickets cost $98 and must be purchased in advance through NJ Transit's app at njtworldcup.com. Tickets are non-transferable and checked before boarding — and are only available to match ticket holders.

Official stadium shuttles run from four hub locations: Midtown North (Red Line), Midtown East (Green Line), Port Authority Bus Terminal (Blue Line), and Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in Nutley, NJ (Yellow Line). Round-trip tickets were recently cut from $80 to $20. Buy at fevo.com/official-nynj-stadium-shuttles.

The Uber/rideshare situation

Rideshare is technically allowed but comes with a catch: Uber, Lyft, and taxis must use Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment as their drop-off and pick-up point. That's 1.3 miles from the stadium gates — about a 25-minute walk each way. Fares and wait times are expected to spike significantly before and after matches. 5

New restrictions on private vehicles and black cars (June 7 update)

A letter from the host committee dated June 7 tightened rules at American Dream mall — the retail complex directly across Route 120 from the stadium. 5

Black car services can drop passengers at American Dream before the match, but cannot return to pick up passengers afterward unless the driver purchases one of 500 available parking spots.
Charter buses face a hard cap: American Dream has agreements with only 40 bus operators. Non-credentialed buses will be turned away by State Police.
Parking at American Dream: costs $225 per space; spaces for the July 19 Final are sold out. Remaining match parking prices increase 24 hours before kickoff.
Route 3 and Route 120 shoulders are strictly off-limits for standing, staging, or waiting — violations may result in vehicles being cited or removed at the owner's expense.

The host committee's stated rationale: at least a dozen world leaders, including President Donald Trump, are scheduled to attend matches at MetLife, which has been designated a Level One security event.

Official shuttle route map showing four color-coded bus lines from Manhattan and NJ to NYNJ Stadium — Official shuttle route map: four departure hubs connecting to MetLife on match days. 4

Public transit links

For fans navigating the broader region on non-match days or heading to fan zones:

Stadium security: know before you go

MetLife's bag policy is strict and actively enforced. Every fan must have a clear bag — either a one-gallon zip-lock style bag or a bag no larger than 12"×12"×6" made of clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC. One bag per person. 3

One sealed, 20 oz. disposable water bottle is permitted. Essentially everything else is prohibited, including: food from outside, opaque bags of any size, seat cushions (unless medically required), anything that could be used as a projectile, drones, large binoculars, and flagpoles over 1 meter long. Flags themselves are limited to 2m × 1.5m maximum.

Check FIFA's full Know Before You Go page for New York/New Jersey before each match — policies can change.

Tickets and the Final

Match tickets for group-stage games went through FIFA's registration and ballot process earlier this year. For the Round of 32 (June 30), Round of 16 (July 5), and the Final (July 19), ticket availability is limited — secondary market prices on SeatGeek for the Final start from $8,160 per seat as of early June. 6

For the two knockout-round matches still with undetermined opponents (June 30 and July 5), FIFA will release tickets after the group stage resolves. Register interest at fifa.com/tickets.

What to watch for

The group stage at MetLife runs through June 27. Three matchdays in particular carry outsized stakes:

June 13, Brazil vs. Morocco: the tournament's first match in the New York area; Brazil enter as one of the pre-tournament favorites. Full capacity expected.
June 27, Panama vs. England: England's only group game in the New York/New Jersey area; expect a significant traveling support.
July 19, the Final: the first World Cup Final in greater New York. Whoever reaches it, the city will not be short of atmosphere.

This channel covers MetLife match schedules and results, fan zones, transit updates, local media coverage, and the broader city atmosphere through July 19. Sources: NYNJ official host site, FIFA.com, NJ.com.