The 2026 men’s soccer World Cup finals won’t be held in New Jersey after all, according to a published report Thursday.
The Sun, a British tabloid, reported that FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, has chosen to set the finals of the next cup at AT&T Stadium in Dallas over MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
A source familiar with the discussions told NJ Advance Media on Thursday that New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s team has been in regular discussions with FIFA and has been told no decision has been made yet. New Jersey officials still believe there’s a chance FIFA could go with MetLife in the end.
More details will come next month, according to the report, which did not cite any sources on the record.
Murphy said in October that it was a “50/50″ chance that either MetLife or AT&T would host the finals. Los Angeles was also reportedly in the mix.
Murphy’s office declined to comment, referring the matter to FIFA.
Fox 4, a Dallas-Fort Worth TV station, cited sources Thursday saying the choice is not confirmed, noting there has been no communication yet with FIFA.
New Jersey and New York have made a strong push to host the finals of the Cup, one of the world’s largest sporting events. Murphy, a massive soccer fan, has said the area has a “compelling case” for the job.
It’s guaranteed that a number of games in the 48-team tournament will be played at MetLife, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets, though it’s still unclear how many. There will also be games played in other parts of North America, including cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Murphy has said MetLife, located at the Meadowlands, will host about eight games.
“That’s eight Super Bowls in six weeks,” the governor said in October.
Giants Stadium hosted the 1994 World Cup semifinals at the Meadowlands. Murphy said “that’s the minimum we get” in 2026.
He has said the event will be “huge,” possibly with Liberty State Park in Jersey City, Times Square in Manhattan, and…
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