The field of dreams – and the story behind it
Hosting the World Cup final on July 19 puts MetLife Stadium on a par with Wembley, the Maracanã and the Bernabéu. Not bad for a venue in New Jersey only built in 2010. But In its previous guise as Giants Stadium, it hosted two seminal occasions in soccer history.
After NFL’s New York Giants struck a deal with New Jersey in 1971 to build a new stadium here and move out of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, it took five years for East Rutherford, seven miles west of Central Park, to welcome a vast, 80,000-capacity three-tier bowl in a borough eight times smaller by population. It was unveiled in 1976, in time to welcome New York Cosmos the following year.
It was here that Pelé played his farewell game in the pouring rain, exhorting the packed crowd to believe in ‘Love, Love, Love!’, and here that that New York’s two great communities, the Irish and the Italians, filled the stadium the last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994. Ray Houghton’s early goal lives long in the collective memory.
Giants Stadium staged seven games that summer, attended by an average 73,000 crowd, including the semi-final won by Italy. Playing that day, Roberto Donadoni returned two years later to join the newly formed New York/New Jersey MetroStars, founder members of MLS, later renamed New York Red Bulls and playing in Harrison since 2010.
By then, MetLife Stadium had replaced Giants Stadium, holding 82,500, filling close to capacity for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Copa América 2024 and the final of the Club World Cup in 2025. Chelsea’s shock 3-0 win over PSG attracted an official crowd figure of 81,118 Retractable seating allows for a relatively swift conversion for soccer and, most of all, excellent sightlines.
The first three major internationals here, in 2010 and 2011, involving Brazil, Argentina and USMNT, packed out the arena each time with attendances just under 80,000 – even for Mexico-Ecuador, soccer’s international curtain-raiser at MetLife Stadium.
Its regular day job, and the task for which it was designed, is to co-host two NFL sides, the Giants and the Jets. The switching of lighting colours according to which side is hosting, a feature pioneered at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena and now commonplace, felt original here, this being the first time a new NFL stadium had accommodated two host teams.
Both drew regular crowds close to 80,000 soon after moving in, Giants winning a fourth Super Bowl, and despite each team struggling significantly, attendances have barely dipped over the last 15 years. MetLife is near filled every weekend from late summer to mid-winter.
The main change since has been an award-winning adoption of green energy, most notably a signature top ring lined with photovoltaic solar panels – the ones that change colours – which power the vast LED screens and much more. What the MetLife doesn’t have is a roof – meaning that if it rains on July 19, sadly Pelé’s not around to fire up the crowd with exhortations to ‘Love, Love, Love!’.
getting here
Going to the stadium – tips and timings
New York is served by three main airports: JFK 16 miles (26km) southeast of Midtown Manhattan, LaGuardia 8.5 miles (14km) east in Queens and, nearest MetLife Stadium 13 miles away (21km), Newark, 16.5 miles (26.5km) south-west of Manhattan. Within Newark Airport, an AirTrain (every 3-5mins, free with a rail ticket) links to Airport Station, then NJ Transit trains and Amtrak rail to Newark Penn Station (5mins) and New York Penn Station (30mins), both one stop from Secaucus Junction.
From there on game days, a shuttle train runs to Meadowlands Station (10mins) beside the stadium. A roundtrip ticket from New York to Meadowlands should cost $12.90 but has controversially been raised to $98 on game days, plus Penn Station will partially close for four hours before each match.
Dedicated bus lanes will be open from New York City’s Port Authority and Grand Central Terminal ($20 roundtrip, 15-20mins). There will be no parking or pedestrian access in the stadium area on game days.
For travel around New York, tap in to pay the standard $3 fare on the subway and most buses, capped at $35 for use over a week. Alternatively, invest in an OMNY Card ($5, $1 minimum load) available from machines at subway stations and convenience stores – these provide free transfers over the course of one journey and free rides if you travel more than a dozen times over a seven-day period.
You can also download the MTA app for tickets and schedules.
Unlike rideshare services, a classic yellow New York taxi cab (+1 866-917-8294) does not use surge pricing so usually works out cheaper for short hops around Manhattan. A ride from JFK to Manhattan should cost $70 plus tolls and a congestion surcharge. Hailing one down in the street is best or use apps such as Curb or ARRO.
Where to Drink
Pre-match beers for fans and casual visitors
A 10min walk from the stadium, Redd’s (317 Washington Ave, Carlstadt) serves prime pub food and beer in a 35 flat-screen sports bar and biergarten. Operating 11am-2am – 9am for NFL Sundays – this East Rutherford landmark is well-versed in catering to sports fans, the large street-level interior decked out in memorabilia – note the large mural of the Crunch Bunch, the legendary quartet of linebackers who made the Giants a formidable force in the early 1980s.
There are no table reservations here so get in early to grab a seat for house classics such as Redd’s jumbo wings and nacho’s. Burgers come courtesy of Schweid & Sons, based barely a mile away in Carlstadt, which turns out monsters such as the double smashed with American cheese.
Drinks-wise, you’re looking at Dortmund’s famed DAB Pilsner, Warsteiner of similar provenance and Weihenstephaner Hefeweiß from Bavaria, plus Guinness and, according to season, Redd’s own Hofbräu brewed in Dortmund. All are poured by the litre or half-litre and best supped in the biergarten. It’s at this point you might consider taking advantage of parking here – offered for $225 during the World Cup, plus around $30 per person for the shuttle service to and from the stadium.
