The World Cup final will take place at 3pm (ET) at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026, FIFA confirmed, in a move that is likely to renew the debate about tensions between player welfare and commercial priorities.
MetLife Stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and it is an open venue without a roof, meaning that players and fans will be exposed to the elements. The FIFA Club World Cup last summer played its semi-finals and final at MetLife, with all three games kicking off at 3pm ET.
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The semi-final between Chelsea and Fluminense had temperature highs of 96F (36C) on July 8 and the semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid had highs of 93F (34C) on July 9. The final between Chelsea and PSG, which took place on July 13, was a little cooler, with highs of 85F (29C). The weather can also be extremely humid in the summer in the area.
Over the last ten years, on July 19, the day scheduled to host the final, the temperatures have hit 90 degrees or higher on four occasions and hit 84F or higher on seven occasions. The ten-year average is 87F, according to data from Weather Underground.
A report published in June by FIFPro, which represents more than 70,000 professional players worldwide, previously called on FIFA to avoid midday games in extremely high-risk areas (Kansas City, Miami and Monterrey), advice which FIFA has heeded because no group stage games in those three locations will begin before 6pm ET. The union labeled MetLife as being a “high risk” location in the same report.
The 3pm ET kick-off for the final at MetLife is among eight games allocated for the stadium
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