Some local fútbol news from Peter King’s “Football Morning in America” column: The longtime reporter is hearing a decision on whether MetLife Stadium will host the 2026 World Cup final is coming soon.
I think the flying-under-the-radar Story of the Month is the competition between NFL stadia in New Jersey, Los Angeles and Arlington, Texas to host the 2026 World Cup Final. The decision will come sometime in the next month, I hear. I suppose MetLife Stadium just outside of New York City would have to be considered the favorite. But I wonder about AT&T Stadium, Jerryworld, in Dallas-Fort Worth. The place can fit 100,000 fans, it’s near the epicenter of soccer in the Western Hemisphere (Mexico and Latin America), and it’s got incredible sightlines. We’ll see; every one of those places has appeal.
The timeline is the news here. We have known for a while it is New York/New Jersey against Arlington and Los Angeles. All three locations have their pros and cons. MSNBC is concerned everyone in Dallas will be walking around with AR-15s, but does that outweigh NJ Transit? Or have our trains proven themselves after not melting down during Taylor Swift weekend? Would they go back to Hollywood again? So many variables.
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We remain canceled about the trains, by the way. Yes, they did OK for the Eras Tour. And they’ll probably do OK when Bruce Springsteen comes at the end of the month. But the World Cup is a different animal. Everyone is going to be staying in New York. Half the people won’t realize the game is being played in New Jersey until a few hours before kickoff. And there is no way in hell they will be able to keep people without tickets out of the parking lots. We remain skeptical. But if FIFA can be sold, it does not matter.
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.
