​The World Cup often stirs civic pride, even in the most cynical among us, and I find myself unexpectedly defending MetLife Stadium. Yes, that MetLife Stadium—the one I once dubbed “MehLife,” which a reader compared to a giant prison toilet in a column. This may seem like a strange pivot, but the World Cup has reminded us what truly matters at a sporting event: it isn’t the venue. Yet that hasn’t stopped people from once more criticizing the 16-year-old structure FIFA has branded New York New Jersey Stadium. A British journalist called it a “roofless, mall-neighboring, soulless concrete bowl,” and a fan described it as “old and cramped” while adding that “the people are grumpy.” It stings, yes, but it’s all too familiar.
“America has some wonderful, breathtaking sports stadiums,” wrote Oliver Holt, chief sports writer for The Daily Mail, on X. “This isn’t one of them.” And if MetLife ends up as the final World Cup venue, the mockery may intensify. The Dallas Morning News even ran a feature with the headline: “As MetLife Stadium draws criticism, fans wonder why Dallas wasn’t chosen for World Cup final.” A tongue-in-cheek nod to the idea that Arlington, Texas, would have been a better place for the show, prompting a playful meme about how no one ever says, “Dallas would’ve been better,” while everyone knows the city would likely choose Dallas anyway.
Tammy Murphy, former New Jersey first lady and chairwoman of the NY/NJ World Cup committee, pushed back, asking, “Have you ever been to Dallas?” She defended FIFA’s choice by listing why New Jersey and the region mattered for the event, arguing that the criticism of MetLife relative to glossier arenas in Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, and elsewhere is unfounded. While I may disagree—those other stadiums are unquestionably more impressive—the fans in New Jersey have shown they don’t care about the prettier surroundings. MetLife has crackling energy during World Cup games, more than it has on many ordinary fall Sundays. Fans fill seats early, stay to the end, sing, dance, and stay fully engaged from start to finish. It’s a sharp contrast to its typical game-day atmosphere.
A random thought: maybe someone should bring a drum to Jets games. The energy outside MetLife, in the World Cup fan zone, has also been electric. Like most East Rutherford regulars, I initially worried that FIFA’s ban on tailgating would dampen the mood, but, for better search engine optimization, it hasn’t.