The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will be played just down Interstate 80 from Rockaway, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, July 19, 2026. For Rockaway Borough and Rockaway Township residents, the biggest match in soccer is happening less than an hour from home.
MetLife Stadium, branded as New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament, is hosting eight World Cup matches this summer. The schedule runs from group-stage games already underway through the knockout rounds and ends with the final on July 19. The stadium is listed at about 82,500 seats, though crews removed roughly 1,740 corner seats to widen the field to soccer dimensions.
The final will also bring the first halftime show in World Cup history. FIFA announced in May 2026 that Madonna, Shakira, and BTS will headline the performance.
Getting there from Morris County is a straight shot east on Interstate 80. NJ Transit is running special service to the Meadowlands, with round-trip game-day train tickets set at $105 after a 30 percent reduction, plus $80 shuttle buses from Secaucus Junction.
Tickets are sold through FIFA, and demand for the final is expected to be steep. Rockaway fans who want to be in the building, or just want to know what is rolling into their backyard, can review the full New York New Jersey schedule on FIFA’s official tournament page.
