New York and New Jersey officials are projecting a large economic boost to the region from hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Eight games will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, next summer, and an additional 96 will be played throughout North America. New Jersey will host the quarterfinal, both semifinals, and the final match of the World Cup.
An estimated 6 million people are expected to travel to Canada, Mexico, and the United States for the events, with 1.2 million alone expected to visit MetLife Stadium.
Officials are estimating a $3.3 billion economic boost, with $1.3 billion projected from total labor income for the tri-state area economy, and $1.7 billion in spending within the regional economy by match and nonmatch attendees, according to projections from the NYNJ Host Committee.
The events will generate more than 26,000 jobs in both states and more than $432 million in state and local tax revenue, according to the committee.
The event will also bring in roughly $432 million in state and local tax revenues, according to the study carried out in partnership with Tourism Economics, which is owned by Oxford Economics.
“The huge story, if we do it right and I think we will, will be the build-up to the game (of soccer) and the legacy that will be measured in decades that this event will leave behind,” Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) said.
The two states have already heavily invested in the event. In New Jersey, state lawmakers have sent $67.5 million in the last three state budgets to a New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority fund for “International Events, Improvements & Attractions,” which is being used for tournament preparation, according to the Bergen Record.
New Jersey is also looking to build a transitway to the stadium through NJ Transit. Initially, it was planned to be a dedicated, permanent bus route and shelter, but that plan has been changed to a temporary bus shelter. The estimated cost is about $100 million, and the state has paid $35 million to NJ Transit to develop its existing infrastructure to serve the stadium.
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Onyx Equities, a real estate investment firm, was announced last week as the first New York-New Jersey World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter.
“This is New Jersey’s moment — I know we call this New York, New Jersey, and I’m not supposed to say anything bad about New York; and I’m not saying anything bad about New York — I love New York,” said John Saraceno, co-founder of Onyx Equities. “But New Jersey needs to have a presence — and it was important to me if the ‘little engine that could’ called Onyx Equities could be a Host City Supporter, then everybody else needs to step up and make sure that New Jersey has a big seat in what happens here.”