'Watershed moment:' Soccer has potential to explode in North America with 2026 World Cup

East Rutherford will once again set the stage for the biggest event in sport: the FIFA World Cup.

FIFA officials on Thursday confirmed what for so long felt like a done deal: MetLife Stadium will be the backdrop for at least some games played during the men’s FIFA World Cup in 2026. It marks the first time World Cup games will be played in Bergen County since 1994 and 1999.

The 2026 event will be the biggest yet. That year, the tournament will expand to 48 teams and 80 games in what will likely feature the toughest field of competitors in the history of the tournament.

As thrilling as the games will be once that first whistle blows in 2026, the buzz regarding Thursday’s announcement was more about what can happen when the tournament is over: soccer has the potential to explode across North America. In a lot of ways, it’s already happening.

The World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world. No matter where the tournament is hosted, its impact can be felt on soccer pitches across the globe. More children may sign up for rec soccer that year, or more players may show up to varsity tryouts in high school – simply from the hype. So when a country plays host to the tournament, its impact on the growth of soccer locally increases tenfold.

Throughout Thursday's Fox Sports broadcast, when the full 16 host cities from the U.S., Canada and Mexico were unveiled, broadcasters and their guests, including professional players from across North America, referenced how transformative the FIFA World Cup was in 1994, when the men’s tournament was last played in the United States. Some are projecting that impact to be even greater in 2026.

“I think this part of the world doesn't realize what will happen here in 2026,” said Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, at a press conference in New York City on Thursday. “The world will be invading Canada, Mexico and the United States.”

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Seventeen U.S. stadiums were in the running as finalists for the tournament, including MetLife Stadium. In addition to the East Rutherford venue, U.S. stadiums were also selected in Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

MetLife has long been considered a top contender for some of the event’s biggest games. Local officials have long advocated for the final to be played there, which would mark the first time a World Cup final is played on the East Coast.

In 2016, MetLife Stadium served as the venue for the Copa América Centenario Final – likely a dry run to demonstrate to the soccer world that the massive venue is more than capable of hosting such a marquee event. The final between Chile and Argentina drew 82,026 fans, one of the largest soccer crowds in New Jersey history.

FIFA has yet to decide which stadiums will host what games. On Thursday, FIFA officials were mum about where the coveted final could wind up. They even admitted that decisions were still being made about host cities as late as Thursday morning.

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Cindy Parlow Cone, president of U.S. Soccer, the sport’s governing body, said the organization's goal is for soccer to become the “preeminent sport” in the country. And with record investment across both Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League, the momentum is already growing.

“You are seeing the explosion of our game right now on both the men’s and the women’s side. Investment in our sport has never been greater. The demand for our sport has never been greater,” Parlow Cone said. “And with the World Cup coming here in ’26, we are going to continue to see a growth in fandom, participation, investment, engagement at all levels. … But, I think, every level of the sport will be touched – and it’s going to just create another explosion, like we saw in ’94, as well as ’99.”

Parlow Cone was part of the iconic American women's team in 1999 that secured a World Cup title at home. That summer was instrumental in growing the game on the women’s side, igniting a new generation of female athletes across the United States.

Victor Montagliani, president of the CONCAF – short for the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, put his expectations of 2026 succinctly during Thursday's press conference.

“It will be a watershed moment for the sport,” he said. “As we move forward past the next World Cup [this year] …. as soon as that last ball, or that final whistle happens on Dec. 19 – the focus will be here to this beautiful thing coming to North America.”

Melanie Anzidei is a reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: anzidei@northjersey.com

Twitter: @melanieanzidei

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: World Cup 2026: Soccer has potential to explode across North America