New York Mayor Eric Adams wants to host 2026 World Cup final at Times Square logo launch

New York and New Jersey made no secret of their intention to host football’s biggest spectacle on Thursday, the FIFA World Cup Final, and where better to lay claim to the show than on Broadway?

The US, Mexico and Canada ramped up their preparations for their joint 2026 World Cup this week, but New York has its sights set on the grand prize before the event has even started.

The 2026 final was jeopardized in March when the former expected venue for football’s biggest showdown, the LA Rams’ SoFi stadium, was told the pitch was too narrow under FIFA rules and only played during the final. no less than 20 meters should increase. tournament, reducing the capacity to less than 70,000.

But Los Angeles’ loss could be New York’s gain.

At least that’s what New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy were strong on during the launch of the region’s Host City logo in Times Square Thursday.

Mayor Adams revealed that MetLife Stadium, located across the Hudson River in East Rutherford, NJ, and home to both of New York’s NFL teams, the Jets and Giants, would host eight of the tournament’s 104 games . Or, as one enthusiastic Governor Murphy called them, “eight Super Bowls.”

But that’s apparently not enough for Lady Liberty, as both Adams and Murphy claimed FIFA’s showstopper.

“The biggest stage in the world, there’s no place like New York/New Jersey, we’re going to bring the World Cup here,” Adams declared as he addressed fans amid the bustle of the heart of Manhattan. “I think we’re going to have eight games. We have to have the final here.

“New York is the biggest city in the world, so it’s only right that we host the biggest sporting event in the world,” he later added.

“With more than 200 languages ​​and dialects spoken here, and each of the 48 countries qualifying for the FIFA World Cup represented here in the five boroughs, our city and region represent the diversity of the sport in the world. New Yorkers can’t wait to welcome fans from around the world to our city to experience our world-class sights, bright lights and our uniquely diverse culture.”

Murphy upped Adams’ offer, played on the New York and New Jersey football pedigree, and claimed they would sell every ticket to their “Super Bowls.”

“As the mayor just said, we think we’re going to have eight games,” Murphy began. That’s eight Super Bowls in six weeks. Simply extraordinary and every ticket will be sold out.

“I also want to remind everyone that this area was not created by football alone. The first professional league started across the river in Kearny, New Jersey.”

“I have to admit, as a lifelong fan of ‘the beautiful game’, I have football fever,” the governor added.

“I want to say a huge thank you to FIFA for bringing the World Cup back to New Jersey and New York. From the very beginning, our region has been the heart of American football. We’re ready for the world’s biggest event. Major events are in our blood, they are in our DNA and we are good at that.’

Murphy in his pitch referenced the future impact of hosting the final, while also backing the United States and Mexico’s joint bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

“It’s not just about the games, it’s about the legacy and the excitement that will emerge, especially among young people, not just in 2026, but for decades to come,” he said.

“We hosted matches at the 1994 Men’s World Cup, we hosted them at the 1999 Women’s World Cup – I wouldn’t mind doing the women’s again in 2027, by the way, it wouldn’t be a bad idea – but we’re incredible honored to partner with the US Soccer Foundation to ensure the beautiful game reaches all parts of our great society in the region.”

The pair spoke at the ceremony to launch the region’s logo and brand as a host city, opened by New-York-Giants-legend-turned-host Michael Strahan, who also supported MetLife’s push to reach the finals of the World Cup, claiming ‘there is no better place’.

The event fully sold New York as the global stage fit for the world’s biggest players to shine on, nestled in the heart of the glitz and glamor of the United States’ most famous metropolitan area.

The logo flashed on the huge billboards of Times Square as the iconic “time ball” counted down to “2026” on New Year’s Eve.

Thursday night, landmarks in the region, including Vessel at Hudson Yards, One Vanderbilt, Goethals Bridge, and the Oculus, will light up Lady Liberty in green.

“Today’s launch is the culmination of an exciting partnership between FIFA and the 16 host cities,” said Colin Smith, FIFA World Cup COO.

“Months ago, we embarked on a creative journey together to ensure that the colours, cultures, people and places synonymous with each city were ingrained into every element of the city’s brand identities. We are all thrilled to be unveiling this unique piece of art to the world, along with our country and city partners, and can’t wait to see them applied to channels and venues designed to excite and welcome fans for 26 .’

On Wednesday night, football’s governing body unveiled the official logo of the US-Mexico-Canada-hosted league at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles for stars like Brazilian legend Ronaldo, Brooklyn Beckham and Carli Lloyd.

FIFA had kept it simple as the design consisted of a two stacked on top of a six in white and the World Cup trophy on top.

Each of the 16 host cities followed the initial launch by unveiling their individualized versions of official branding on Thursday, which embodies their culture.

New York and New Jersey played on the region’s most iconic landmark, the Statue of Liberty, which sits in New York Bay between the city and the neighboring state, changing the colors of the design to Lady Liberty green and navy blue.

New York and New Jersey also commissioned portraits of local heroes from the Newark Fire Department, youth soccer players from college programs, and fan groups from the Jersey Shore to Brooklyn, among others.

In addition to New York and New Jersey, there are 10 host cities in the United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Canadian games take place in the cities of Toronto and Vancouver, while the Mexican games take place in Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey.