The World Cup final is the greatest stage of soccer, where every player wants to play and perform. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was a huge success, and the next one is set to be held in the Americas.
To host the “biggest event on earth,” several venues across the USA, Canada, and Mexico are set to undergo changes. And now, the venue for the 2026 World Cup Final has been announced, and it sure is a spectacular one.
MetLife Stadium will host 2026 World Cup final
The World Cup has always been an event that brings the whole world together and the 2026 football spectacle will be jointly hosted by Canada, the United States of America and Mexico. It is going to be an absolute delight to watch people from different cultures show their different ways of celebration.
As announced by FIFA, the World Cup final will take place on July 19, 2026, at the MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey. The home turf of the New York Jets, it is one of the biggest stadiums in the NFL, with a capacity of 82,500. The stadium was inaugurated in 2010 and is located in New Jersey. To date, it has been used for 22 soccer matches, including the 2016 Copa America final between Chile and Argentina.
Why does the World Cup final require MetLife Stadium renovations?
To host the World Cup matches, the stadium needs a renovation to fit the criteria listed by FIFA. But it’s not the only stadium that requires changes. Seven of the 16 venues chosen to host the 2026 competition have artificial turf and will need to convert their playing surface to grass to meet FIFA’s World Cup requirements. In addition to MetLife, Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta, AT&T in Dallas, NRG in Houston, BC Place in Vancouver, Gillette in Boston, Lumen in Seattle and SoFi in Los Angeles will be renovated.
To get a better understanding, we need to go back to the NFL. Compared to grass surfaces, artificial turf is a rigid surface, due to which more force is applied to the leg, which can lead to an injury .
The NFL has faced many injuries due to the artificial turf and the players have demanded the association switch towards grass surfaces. From 2020 to 2023, MetLife Stadium has been home to about seventeen serious injuries . Due to this reason, it has also been called different names by the fans, such as “the home of injuries” and “the cursed Stadium.”
Which team will you be supporting in the 2026 World Cup? Make sure to tell us in the comments section.
