The New York-New Jersey region is on the world’s soccer map once again as FIFA has chosen the area to host some 2026 World Cup games. The winning bid was celebrated by Gov. Phil Murphy and New York City Mayor Eric Adams who led a watch party at Liberty State Park on Thursday.
This marks the second time that World Cup games will be played in the region. The last time was in 1994. In all, 16 cities — in the U.S., Canada and Mexico — were chosen to host the 2026 tournament.
Steve Politi, sports columnist with NJ Advance Media, discusses the successful bid, its potential impact on the region, and the key logistics to be worked out. Transportation is one concern. Recalling the transportation debacle at MetLife Stadium for the 2014 Super Bowl, Politi said he hoped NJ Transit “have learned from what was a nightmare in 2014.”

