Excitement Building for 2026 World Cup in New Jersey

In exactly one year from now, the world will have its eyes on New Jersey.

That is because the World Cup is coming to the Garden State and the greater Tri-State Area in 2026. Anticipation is becoming palpable.

The tournament begins June 11, 2026, in Mexico City, and will quickly expand to other cities in North America is said to be the "largest and most inclusive FIFA World Cup in History, " according to FIFA.com.

Moreover, 6.5 million fans are expected to fill stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. According to a story on the New Jersey Monitor, New York City Mayor Eric Adams estimates the World Cup could generate $3.4 billion in economic revenue for the Tri-State area.

As of right now, 13 teams have been confirme,d including the USA, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, IR Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Uzbekistan, Jordan, and New Zealand.

The remaining 35 teams will be determined over the course of the next several months through March of 2026. And next year it all will culminate July 19, 2026 ,at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Of course, with such excitement comes great responsibility.

Spearheading the New York/New Jersey committee for the World Cup is former Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry who is the host committee's acting CEO.

Lasry is no stranger to organizing large-scale events. He was the Senior Vice President of the Bucks and played a major role in the Bucks hosting an NBA Finals run through the playoffs at the Fiserv Forum in 2021. He also led the host committee for the 2020 Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee and was most recently Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism in the U.S. Department of Commerce under former President Joe Biden.

"Whenever you put on a major sports and entertainment event, having worked in sports at a very high level, provides a tone of experience for a lot of the same qualities for putting something like this on," Lasry said in an interview with Fox Sports Radio New Jersey.

"I have a good sense of what these events take in order to make them successful. I couldn't be more excited to be at the biggest sporting event the world has seen, but the legacy this could leave for soccer across the country."

Lasry stressed that his job will follow four pillars: Security, Transportation, Fan Engagement , and Economic Impact.

"28,000 jobs will be created by the World Cup; this is going to be huge," Lasry said. "It's not something that can be replicated. The World Cup is the worlds sport. We have only eight games at MetLife Stadium. The Cup will go on for over 40 days, so there will be days when MetLife won't have a match. People will need something to do. We will have people coming here to not just see a match, but to experience the energy and excitement. That means bars, restaurants, shops. This is an opportunity for them to get business over not just the 40 days, but repeat business over the next 5 to 10 years."

Events for the World Cup are only going to heat up. Already, the Club World Cup is completing its run through the United States with semifinals and finals taking place this week at MetLife Stadium. Soon thereafter after more events will be announced.

"I'm looking forward to the draw in December, " Lasry said. "That will really be the kick-off for the excitement that the World Cup is coming."

To listen to the full interview with Alex Lasry, follow this link!