What to know about coming into NYC during the World Cup

The World Cup is FIFA’s global soccer tournament, played every four years. This year marks the 23rd men’s edition of the quadrennial event, while the women’s 10th follows in 2027. Set to be the biggest edition of the tournament ever, the 2026 World Cup will feature 48 national teams and 104 matches.

The eight World Cup games taking place at MetLife Stadium near NYC are scheduled from June 13 (Brazil vs. Morocco) through July 19, 2026 (the championship match that decides the winner of the tournament). Several key knockout games will be held there in between.

The World Cup begins on June 11, and matches will be held in 16 cities across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico through July 19.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, Mexico. In the NYC area, eight matches will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, not in one of the city’s five boroughs.

Matches will be spread across 16 host cities, which also include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver.

The U.S. has only hosted the World Cup once before, in 1994, and 2026 is the first time three countries will host the tournament at the same time.

Penn Station, one of NYC's main train transit hubs, will be open during the World Cup — but with special schedules and operating rules in effect on match days. Four hours before kickoff, outbound NJ Transit service from Penn Station to Secaucus Junction will be reserved for World Cup ticket holders, with ticket checks before boarding.

On June 13, for example, when Brazil plays Morocco at 6 p.m, this restriction will go into effect around 2 p.m. Similar windows apply for all matches at MetLife Stadium. You can find match times and transportation tickets here.

Other forms of New York-New Jersey transit, such as the PATH train and buses, will still be operational on World Cup match days. NJ Transit's trip planner shows alternate routes if you're trying to travel during a window where NJ Transit service at Penn Station is restricted.

There are three main transit options to get from NYC to MetLife Stadium on World Cup days:

• NJ Transit trains: Penn Station in New York has dedicated train service to the stadium on match days beginning 4 hours before the game. Attendees must purchase round-trip tickets from New York Penn Station to Meadowlands and present their World Cup ticket before boarding.
• Official stadium shuttle: Starting 4 hours before the game, shuttles will leave from three NYC pickup points: a Midtown East stop just east of Grand Central Terminal, a Midtown North stop just west of Central Park, and Port Authority Bus Terminal. Round-trip tickets include a return trip up to 3 hours after the game ends.
• Rideshare: Parking will not be available at MetLife Stadium during the World Cup. There is a designated rideshare pickup and dropoff point at Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment, which also offers parking with purchase of a pass in advance. There is a direct walking path, just over a mile long, to MetLife from Meadowlands.

The World Cup will make the NYC area busier, but you’ll still have several options to get into the city during the tournament.

• By plane: The three main airports that service NYC are John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport. NJ Transit service from Newark Airport to NYC may be impacted on World Cup game days.

• By train: You can take Metro-North Railroad into Grand Central Terminal or Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road, or NJ Transit into Penn Station. NJ Transit service in the opposite direction, from New York to New Jersey, will be restricted on game days.

• By bus: Long-distance buses from across the U.S. arrive at Port Authority Bus Terminal.

• By car: Gridlock alerts are in effect for all match days, so expect heavy traffic in Midtown if you drive or rideshare into the city. Select traffic restrictions, listed below, will also be in effect on game days. They will take effect starting six hours before kickoff and remain in place for up to three hours after the game ends.

• 42nd Street will be bus-only from First Avenue to 12th Avenue.

• Portions of Fifth and Sixth Avenues and West 40th and 41st Streets will be restricted to buses, official World Cup vehicles, and emergency vehicles.

• Several blocks around West 32nd and 33rd Streets, near Penn Station, will be closed to vehicle traffic during peak travel periods before and after the games.

Yes — NYC is hosting five official fan zones, one in each borough: Manhattan (Rockefeller Center), Brooklyn (Brooklyn Bridge Park), Queens (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center), the Bronx (Bronx Terminal Market), and Staten Island (Siuh Community Park).

Each fan zone will be open on different days throughout the World Cup, and events may include live match screenings, interactive experiences, food and drink vendors, live music performances, and other community programming. The Rockefeller Center fan zone will even transform the ice rink into a soccer pitch!

Learn more about schedules and programming for all official World Cup fan zones in NYC.

Need to complete your itinerary during your World Cup trip? Here are a few winning options to get you started.

• Visit a World Cup fan zone: You can still experience the tournament even if you don't have a ticket. Join the action at one of the city's five official fan zones, or hit up just about any sports bar on game day for a good chance at catching a broadcast.
• See a show: The Broadway and Off-Broadway slate is nearly as diverse as the World Cup team lineup. Don't know where to start? Check out our guides to the top Broadway musicals and top Broadway plays on right now.
• Explore Central Park: During June and July, the park is full of locals and visitors picnicking, playing sports, and escaping the summer heat. See iconic spots like Bethesda Terrace and Belvedere Castle; rent a rowboat on the Lake; play pickleball at Wollman Rink; or catch a Free Shakespeare in the Park show at the Delacorte Theater.
• Check out a museum: There are lots of options, but top choices include the Metropolitan Museum of Art (part of the Upper East Side's jam-packed Museum Mile), the American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Broadway.
• Eat your way through a neighborhood: Grab pizza, bagels, dumplings, cocktails, or dessert and just wander. Check out our guides to iconic neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, the East Village, the Upper West and Upper East Sides, or the waterfront Financial District as a starting point.