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The FIFA World Cup may still be in its early stages, but some fans are already looking forward to the final on Sunday, 19 July.
The match is widely regarded as the biggest in world football, but the choice of venue this time around has caused widespread confusion among fans in the USA.
FIFA's chosen venue for the World Cup final is MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. However, the general consensus among supporters is that there are better options out there for such a big match.
MetLife Stadium criticised by fans
One of the biggest gripes about MetLife Stadium is that it is soulless and lacks the imagination and beauty of other major sports stadiums in the USA, such as the AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
The transport links to the stadium are also expensive and unreliable in equal measure, while there have also been complaints about the lack of atmosphere inside.
Online, hundreds of fans have taken to X to express their displeasure at MetLife Stadium. One user wrote:
“It's hard to imagine spending a billion dollars on such a soulless piece of s***t”. Meanwhile, another fan posted, “We literally hate this stadium with a passion in NY. Location, aesthetics — one of the worst in the country.”
A third commented that it had ‘no soul' and that they would take a ‘crumbling San Siro' over it any day of the week.
🚨 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: The MetLife Stadium pitch is in poor condition ahead of France vs Senegal tonight. Dry and sparse in places, Brazil and Morocco's players flagged it after their game.
— Limitless Football (@lmts_football) June 16, 2026
That's the same stadium hosting the World Cup final on July 19. pic.twitter.com/Q73ak8N2CK
Fans suggest alternative World Cup final venues
There are plenty of other stadiums in North America that would arguably be better venues for the World Cup final.
One fan posted on X: “NYC is obviously a major draw, but I'm surprised FIFA went with MetLife for the World Cup final. SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Mercedes-Benz in Atlanta. AT&T in Dallas. The US has so many cool new stadiums, and they chose the least interesting option.”
Another suggested the Azteca in Mexico, labelling it a ‘football cathedral'.
FGG says: An understandable point of view
The idea that MetLife Stadium is a bizarre choice for the World Cup final is not just a case of football fans throwing their toys out of the pram for no reason. Beyond the logistical problems and uninspring design, there are also concerns with the playing surface, which still plays like an artificial pitch despite being turfed in the build-up to the tournament.