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The basics:

• Bank of America event, NYNJ Host Committee urge businesses to prepare for major opportunities around FIFA World Cup 2026
• MetLife Stadium will host eight matches, including the Final
• Fan festivals, Flag Cities events and Liberty State Park activations will engage visitors
• The tournament is projected to bring $2B in economic activity, 14,000 jobs and 1M visitors

The buzz is intensifying around here as the FIFA World Cup 2026 gets set to descend on the region. Recently, a major benchmark came as the draw was announced, giving more clarity on which teams will play at which stadiums during the Group Play.

MetLife Stadium will host eight matches, including the Final on July 19, 2026, which will be viewed by global audience in the billions.

There are a variety of activations and events planned throughout the 39-day tournament next summer – which will also coincide with the America 250th Anniversary celebration.

In addition, regional leaders recently launched the Flag Cities program – a series of fan festivals at five sites around North Jersey. There is also a FIFA Fan Festival slated for Liberty State Park each day of the tournament hosted by the NYNJ Host Committee.

And on the ground, there are a number of efforts being organized and established to make sure that the business community can capitalize on the tournament, with meetings and engagements between key stakeholders.

Jump on the wave

A prime example of this was a Nov. 12 event held by Bank of America. Nothing But Net: FIFA World Cup 2026 brought together local leaders, Host Committee officials, business owners, Bank of America team members, U.S. soccer legends (and New Jersey natives) Tab Ramos and Tony Meola, and more to learn about the tournament and how to prepare businesses for what is coming this summer.

The event took place at MetLife Stadium – where the matches will be played – bringing the whole thing together and offering attendees the chance to walk on the field and tour the stadium.

Kerri Finnegan, market executive, Northern New Jersey Business Banking for Bank of America, said that major events such as the World Cup generate billions of dollars in economic activity, create jobs and bring in visitors from across the globe.

“But the impact doesn’t just touch stadiums and hotels. It ripples across entire communities, reaching businesses of every size and sector,” said Finnegan. “This tournament is projected to generate over $2 billion in economic activity in this region. This tournament is projected to generate 14,000 jobs in this region. And this tournament is projected to bring 1 million visitors to this region, roughly half of whom will be non-ticket holders.”

Finnegan said that offers a real opportunity for businesses.

“As a business owner, whether you run a restaurant, a retail shop, a service business or something completely unrelated to sports – there is an opportunity to use this wave of excitement to drive growth,” said Finnegan. “And we want to help you take advantage of that opportunity. Bank of America is committed to helping local businesses and leaders explore how to capitalize on these opportunities for sustainable growth.

“That’s why we’re all here today – to learn more about that.”

‘Biggest sporting event ever’

“It’s hard to believe when you think about MetLife – Taylor Swift, concerts, Super Bowl, WrestleMania, you name it. Every event has been here. And there will be nothing bigger than this event,” said Fred Mangione, chief business officer of the NYNJ Host Committee. “The governor of New Jersey – Phil Murphy – says it’ll the biggest sporting event ever – take that in: ever.

“And he’s not wrong.”

Mangione explained exactly what the Host Committee does.

“To put it in terms – I always do this when I talk to people. Here’s the stadium we’re all sitting in and on the inside of it, FIFA does everything. They run the games. They run the medical. They bring the clubs in, the countries – and they do all that stuff,” Mangione explained. “On the outside of it, is what we’re going to talk about today – what we do.

“We’re going to walk through our Fan Fest. We’re going to walk you through how everyone in this room could get involved.”

Mangione gave a shoutout to the head of the Meadowlands Chamber, Jim Kirkos, for his tireless advocacy in first working to get the games here – and now working to make sure businesses are prepared to capitalize on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He noted how the Dec. 5 draw takes preparations to a whole new level, since everyone now knows which teams are playing here, beginning June 13.

“With this, every game will be a different experience – because the culture and the people that are going to come, just to turn this place upside down,” said Mangione, pointing out that there are eight matches but he refers to it as the Final and seven matches. “The Final will be the biggest thing that ever happens to New York/New Jersey. And it’s crazy to think about that – with all the events that have been run in this building and will continue to run.

“There was a Super Bowl here – and this will trump that 10 times. I know it’s hard to believe, but that is what’s going to happen,” said Mangione.

Tens of thousands of fans a day

After ticking through some of the projected stats and impact, Mangione came back to the Fan Fest at Liberty State Park. He described it as a central part of the Host Committee’s efforts to connect the community during the tournament.

“It’s the beauty of the location – at Liberty State Park. You can see New York while you’re in New Jersey,” said Mangione. “You see the Statue of Liberty. But at the same time, we expect 40,000 to 50,000 people a day coming through this area. And, of course, our good friends at Bank of America will be there every day activated.”

He echoed the point about the number of people planning to come to the United States during the tournament who will not have tickets to the matches – but will want to take in the feel of the tournament on the ground and in the local communities with fellow fans.

“So, when they come here, what do we do? We’re going to make sure there’s a lot to do,” said Mangione. “The biggest difference maker we have is Live Nation is actually going to be involved with this. We’re actually going to run concerts there.”

As he closed out his remarks, Mangione came back to the Dec. 5 draw and how that would really mark the next step in the process and build up to the tournament, as buzz really starts to grow.

“But this is probably the most important thing I’d like to get across today. This is our toolkit,” said Mangione, referring to the information hub that can be found on the Host Committee’s website. “This is truly how you can get involved with the Host Committee in these games. Whether it’s getting access to the view games, advertising the Host Committee and being a part of us in your storefront.

“It really lays out a lot of different things you can do as local businesses to get involved with what’s going on – and, more important, involved with us. Everyone knows the World Cup is a massive event. But our goal is to make sure we get as many people involved as possible. And when that final whistle blows on the 19th – if most of you in this room, if not all of you, whether you attended a game or not, touched it somehow; got involved somehow; were a part of it.

“That truly will be success.”

History lesson

A fireside chat followed a panel discussion on AI and cybersecurity, with Alberto Garofalo, president of Bank of America New Jersey, moderating. He was joined on stage by Ramos and Meola, the two U.S. Soccer Hall of Famers who grew up together in Kearny.

Garofalo emphasized the magnitude of the opportunity this moment presents.

“For us, it really is about creating these memorable experiences. It’s about continuing to work alongside all of you,” he said. “It’s about continuing to bring extraordinary opportunities like this for all of our clients. And it’s about giving back to our communities.

“You heard some of the examples from Fred earlier about the impacts – 14,000 jobs across the board,” he continued. “It’s an amazing, amazing opportunity that we’re honored to be part of. And we’re grateful that you’re here to join us.”

Ramos and Meola shared stories from their playing days and shared insights about soccer in the U.S. and how it has evolved since the last time the World Cup was held here in 1994.

“That’s why I’m trying to fast forward thinking about what 2026 is going to look like in June. This place is going to get taken over,” said Meola. “And when I say this place, I don’t mean MetLife. Remember, the ’94 World Cup is still the biggest World Cup that we’ve ever had – bigger than in Russia.

“And to think, that in ’94, when the sport wasn’t nearly as big – we pulled off the biggest World Cup still in the history of the game. Can you imagine what it’s going to be like [in 2026]? Keep in mind, ’94 had 24 teams. There’s going to be 48 nations here this time around – double the number of teams. It’s going to be amazing.”

“What excites me is the magnitude of what this is going to look like next summer,” said Ramos. “Likely going to start around February, March. We’ll start to see the wave and how everything will turn into soccer for a period of three, four, five months. That’s exciting.

Likely going to start around February, March. We’ll start to see the wave and how everything will turn into soccer for a period of three, four, five months. That’s exciting.
– Tab Ramos, soccer coach and former pro player

“And then what it’s going to leave behind. Because I think we’re sitting here, without a doubt, because of what happened in 1994. Because of what happened in 1994, there’s an MLS now,” Ramos continued. “There’s 30 professional teams. Each one of those teams has their own stadium. They all have their youth development system. And they each have the facilities where the kids are being developed.

“So, if you go all the way back to 1994, it was a World Cup that was played in our country that didn’t even have a league. And all of these things have happened in the last 30 years to get us to this point. And what excites me is to think about what the future is going to look like for soccer in this country. Because I think next summer is just exponentially going to take it to the next level.”