The big pitch: NJ awaits word on bid to host 2026 World Cup

New Jersey and New York are patiently and eagerly awaiting a decision by FIFA about their joint bid to be a Host City for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in areas across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Gov. Phil Murphy is expressing optimism about the possibility of securing the bid.

“We are pitching like heck to the get the men’s World Cup 2026 in New Jersey and New York City,” he said during a recent “Ask Gov. Murphy” radio show on WBGO. “It’s a joint bid between us and New York City. And we’ve got a real shot now. I’ll be stunned if MetLife (Stadium) doesn’t get a bunch of games.”

A successful bid would literally bring the world to New Jersey – the tournament is, by most measures, among the most popular sporting event on the planet along with the Olympics. But of greater import to Garden State businesses is the estimated half-billion dollar economic impact the World Cup is likely to bring to the area.

And Murphy hopes to not just land any matches, he is pushing for some of the marquee games. “We want to get one of the better packages, get the final, get the opening game, get a semi,” he said.

Despite the public and private push, the waiting game continues. A decision may come in the not-too-distant future. “We are currently waiting for a decision from FIFA whether we will be selected as one of the Host Cities,” Christi Peace, a spokesperson for Murphy, told NJBIZ. “There is no specific timeline, but FIFA has publicly stated that we can expect a decision sometime in Q2.”

A FIFA delegation has been conducting an exhaustive review process in interested cities. FIFA officials have also made official visits to Los Angeles, Boston, Nashville, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., among more than 15 locales vying to host games.

Murphy said he believes Los Angeles is one of the chief competitors for key matches during the 48-team tournament in May 2026. “If I had to guess, L.A. is the other big one with their fancy new stadium,” Murphy said, referring to the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., home of the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.

FIFA is expected to select 11 cities in the U.S., three in Mexico and two in Canada. In September, FIFA officials toured the 82,500-seat home of the Giants and Jets. In 1994, the last time the U.S. hosted the men’s FIFA World Cup, Giants Stadium was home to seven matches, including a semi-final.

“We are incredibly excited to host the FIFA delegation and show off what we believe is the best stadium in the country,” Murphy said at the time.

MetLife Stadium has served as both a host of the Super Bowl (2014) and WrestleMania (2019). Fans attending both events endured transportation snafus – problems that could factor into FIFA’s decision.

The delegation also toured and sought information on area infrastructure and transportation, as well as training facilities, including Rutgers University, the Pingry School, and Red Bull Arena in Harrison, which is in believed to be in the mix as a chief practice hub.

In addition to the cultural cache and area buzz, the estimated economic activity is why competition for the event is so fierce. “The economic impact to the region would be considerable – with early estimates by FIFA over $500 million, helping everyone from our local small businesses in urban and suburban areas to our hospitality industry across the state,” Peace said. “We hope to leverage the games to highlight all of the great aspects and beautiful places New Jersey and the region have to offer.”

In fact, Murphy revealed that the nation’s 250th birthday, also in 2026, is at the center of the joint pitch, highlighting the role New Jersey and the region played in the American Revolution.

“The New Jersey story in the Revolutionary War, the birth of our country, is a very meaningful one,” Murphy said. “And I admit to you, so is Philadelphia, so is Boston. Those are obvious places as well. But Jersey’s right alongside them.”

The two states even brought in some added star power to try and seal the bid.

“We got Robert De Niro to narrate our pitch video and a big chunk of it was Lady Liberty and the reminder that it was the 250th Birthday of America,” Murphy said. “You couldn’t get a guy who could more typify the attitude of both New Jersey and New York City than De Niro.”

“With the Statue of Liberty standing tall in our harbor, New York welcomes the 2026 FIFA World Cup as an opportunity to show players and fans all we have to offer,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul.

But such enthusiasm is not universal. For example, nearly $15 million in federal COVID-19 relief money will be used to sweeten the bid. The Associated Press reported on some of the unusual and, perhaps, improper ways that state and local governments are spending the money, which comes with few limitations because of loose Treasury Department rules. The earmarks and projects have drawn criticism from congressional lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

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The Governor’s Office said the funds were used to revitalize and invest in industries that were impacted by COVID, saying that the World Cup would inject millions of dollars to the tourism and hospitality industries, which were, of course, battered by the pandemic.

Liz Bourgeois, a Treasury Department press official, believes the money and much of the spending has allowed state and local governments to recover from the financial dis-tress and achieve their own strategies for restoring jobs and industries hit by the pandemic.

“Ultimately local governments are accountable to their communities on their decisions on how to best use their funds,” Bourgeois said.

The debate over how to spend federal dollars is also at the center of the current budget battle going on in Trenton.

The bid is also personally meaningful for Murphy, an avid soccer fan and the owner of NJ/NY Gotham FC, a professional women’s soccer team.

“The governor is excited and understands how meaningful it would be for soccer fans throughout our state to host this event in New Jersey,” Peace said. “More importantly, he knows just how beneficial it would be for our state’s economy. Bringing the world’s biggest game, hopefully even the final, to our state would be a major achievement for us and for generations of New Jerseyans to come.”

MetLife Stadium hosting the world’s biggest sporting event during the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, would provide an epic moment. “We want to remind folks that the birth of the nation is a big part of our pitch,” Murphy said.