The construction of the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the 2026 World Cup will take place in two years, with the first expected to be completed in May and the second taking place from January 2025 to May 2025.
Photo courtesy of Skanska
The 2026 World Cup championship match will fill New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium with 75,000 fans. The stadium plans to renovate it to make it functional, and it’s just one of 16 stadiums in North America set to host FIFA’s flagship event in the summer of 2026. .
In preparation for the tournament, Skanska has already begun the task of renovating the underside of MetLife Stadium, which also hosts the NFL’s New York Jets and New York Giants. All of this comes as the stadium wishes to be reconfigured to meet FIFA requirements. Pitch length criteria for the 8 matches scheduled at the venue.
To highlight the paintings while the remains are heavily used, the structure will be implemented in two phases: the first phase is expected to be completed in May and the second phase will take place from January 2025 to May 2025.
Sean Szatkowski, executive vice president and general manager of the Skanska USA building, says that after the construction of the venue for its opening in 2010, “this new venture poses the unique and exciting challenge of making the changes to meet FIFA’s requirements. “
The upcoming adjustments in New Jersey are the only projects planned before the 2026 tournament. With 16 venues in 16 cities across the U. S. , Mexico and Canada, some stadiums have already announced modernization plans, while others are reading wishes with an eye toward future projects. of the start of the tournament in June 2026.
HKS Design told ENR that the company is collaborating with FIFA on possible adjustments to two of the most important venues in the United States, the AT Stadium.
HKS is helping to determine what adjustments might be in store. Previously, AT
In Mexico, Populous is executing projects to modernize the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, the largest stadium in the country, ahead of the World Cup. The stadium’s owners, Televisa, are planning a number of innovations across the facility, but have yet to reveal the final scope of the plans.
Toronto’s BMO Stadium will go through a series of renovations to allow for the temporary addition of approximately 17,500 seats. Gensler Architecture
Seattle’s Lumen Field confirms that adjustments will be made to the venue to host World Cup matches, basically in terms of seating and pitch configuration, but detailed plans have not yet been set. The same is true in Santa Clara, California, where a spokesperson for the San Francisco 49ers told ENR that they are on potential projects at Levi’s Stadium to make sure “we are well-equipped to host thousands of fans from around the world. “
The tournament has grouped the 16 stadiums into 3 regions, making it less difficult for groups and enthusiasts to travel. In the western region, adjacent to Lumen Field, Levi’s Stadium and SoFi Stadium, is BC Place in Vancouver, where the government building has been built. He announced plans to provide on-site hospitality and access to fans. Details have not been determined.
The Central Region, which includes Dallas and Mexico City, Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, BBVA Stadium in Monterrey, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, and NRG Stadium in Houston.
The Eastern Region includes Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium, Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, as well as venues in New Jersey and Toronto.
As teams continue to monitor desires to ensure access to as many spectators as possible and that the pitch length required by FIFA matches bowl configurations, plans continue to take shape.
FIFA says 8 of the 16 venues want a new shallow pitch under grassy grass, which will be the playing surface for all 16 venues. FIFA is working with study groups at the University of Tennessee and Michigan State University to expand a plan for the field. facilities at all 16 locations.
In New Jersey, the scope of the order offers some of the most intense plans in the 3 countries, adding the demolition of the 4 corners of the existing prefabricated seats and the installation of a new modular formula of composite metal seats with the corresponding mechanical, electrical, audiovisual and audiovisual equipment. Plumbing adjustments. The allocation will be accompanied by the elimination of 1,740 permanent seats to expand the dimensions of the field, moving those seats to a modular formula based on the existing number and arrangement of NFL seats. According to the organizing committee’s proposal submitted to FIFA, the planned capacity for the World Cup matches is 75,000 people.
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