New York City is preparing to welcome football fans from around the world this summer for the World Cup, with most matches taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The 80,000-seat venue, home to the NFL's Jets and Giants, will host eight games, including the final on July 19. This marks another major event at the Meadowlands site, following the Super Bowl in 2014 and Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in 2023.
Tourists can explore iconic attractions such as the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Empire State Building, Central Park, Coney Island, and Broadway shows. Baseball fans can catch the Yankees or Mets, with the Los Angeles Dodgers visiting Yankee Stadium during the final weekend. New York's diverse culinary scene offers everything from bagels and pizza to Michelin-starred restaurants, with 72 starred eateries in the city and surrounding areas.
Free fan zones will be set up in all five boroughs: Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, the East River waterfront and Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn, a shopping mall near Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, and a minor league baseball stadium in Staten Island. A paid fan zone in Harrison, New Jersey, at Sports Illustrated Stadium costs $10 for adults, free for children under 12, with tickets required.
Transportation to MetLife Stadium has been a point of contention. A round-trip NJ Transit train ticket from Penn Station to East Rutherford costs $98, down from an initial $150, but still significantly higher than the usual $12.90 fare. The journey is not direct, requiring a transfer at Secaucus Junction, and tickets must be bought in advance for a specific time slot. Fans can also take NJ Transit from Secaucus or Hoboken Terminal. FIFA's official shuttle bus costs $20 and departs from Grand Central Station, Port Authority Bus Terminal, a north Midtown location, or a park-and-ride in Clifton, New Jersey.
Parking at the stadium is limited to premium spots and spaces at the American Dream mall, with no general parking or tailgating allowed. Ride-sharing drop-off and pick-up will be at the Meadowlands harness racing track. Fans should expect significant delays entering and leaving the stadium, as regular-season football games already cause long queues, and the logistical challenges of no parking and unfamiliar transportation options may exacerbate congestion.
