{"id":225594,"date":"2026-05-27T20:59:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T20:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/?p=225594"},"modified":"2026-06-03T13:45:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T13:45:48","slug":"fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey\/","title":{"rendered":"A Sports Fan&#8217;s World Cup Guide for Normies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"custom_featured_image\" style=\"display:none;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey-300x200.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"FIFA World Cup Guide New Jersey\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey.png 1000w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey-585x390.png 585w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey-263x175.png 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div><div id=\"custom_category\" style=\"display:none;\">game time<\/div><p>At this point, everyone in New Jersey knows that the World Cup is on the horizon. It&#8217;s a few weeks away (and that time <em>will<\/em> come and go in an instant), so there&#8217;s no better opportunity than now to prepare for what the event will bring to the Garden State. Between increased traffic, local events, and opportunities to show off New Jersey culture, the World Cup is going to make this summer a special one in NJ. It&#8217;s important to know what to expect, even if you aren&#8217;t a soccer fan, so <em>NJG<\/em> has put together a guide with all the details. <strong>Read on for a sports fan&#8217;s guide to the 2026 World Cup for normies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-225651 \" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey.png\" alt=\"FIFA World Cup Guide New Jersey\" width=\"451\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey.png 1000w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey-585x390.png 585w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey-263x175.png 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>About the World Cup<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWlbbRIEQ9X\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWlbbRIEQ9X\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by FIFA World Cup (@fifaworldcup)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\nThe<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/new-jersey-fifa-world-cup-guide-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> World Cup<\/a> is an international football (soccer) competition held every four years in different places around the world. It is considered one of the, if not the most important sporting event in the world, due to its global audience and focus on patriotism. 48 soccer teams representing different countries will participate in a tournament-style bracket for the World Cup championship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s how it relates to New Jersey<\/strong>: The World Cup will hold matches across all of North America, including eight matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. This will include five group stage matches, two knockout matches, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.themontclairgirl.com\/fifa-world-cup-2026-metlife-stadium-nj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">World Cup Final<\/a>, the latter of which will be the most important match of the entire event. With such important moments happening in New Jersey, the state will experience a lot of domestic and global traffic, with both locals and visitors flooding major cities with intentions of attending or participating in the event.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a list of dates where the World Cup will be held at MetLife Stadium:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>June 13<\/strong>: Brazil vs. Morocco<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>June 16<\/strong>: France vs. Senegal<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>June 22<\/strong>: Norway vs. Senegal<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>June 25<\/strong>: Ecuador vs. Germany<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>June 27<\/strong>: Panama vs. England<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>June 30<\/strong>: Round of 32 match<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>July 5<\/strong>: Round of 16 match<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>July 19<\/strong>: World Cup Final<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At this point, tickets are largely secured for World Cup viewers, but a link to last-minute sales can be found on FIFA&#8217;s website <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fifa.com\/en\/tournaments\/mens\/worldcup\/canadamexicousa2026\/tickets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>What to Expect as a Jerseyan<\/h2>\n<h3>There Will Be a Lot of Visitors<\/h3>\n<p>According to the official New York-New Jersey (NYNJ) FIFA World Cup <a href=\"https:\/\/nynjfwc26.com\/press-releases\/fifa-world-cup-2026-ny-nj-final-schedule-released\/\">website<\/a>, over 1.2 million fans are expected to travel to the NY-NJ region in anticipation of and viewing of the event. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.docsports.com\/2026\/fifa-world-cup-financial-statistics.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Statistical projections<\/a> from Doc&#8217;s Sports, a long-time sports prediction service, claim that the incoming global traffic will bring lots of opportunities to the region as well, including an estimated $3.3 billion in revenue and over 26,000 jobs. Local businesses will also enjoy the event&#8217;s impact, as each World Cup visitor is expected to spend more than $5,000 per trip and around $416 a day.<\/p>\n<p>The sheer amount of incoming visitors will introduce a new temporary dynamic to Northern New Jersey, with more foot traffic than ever. However, take this as the ultimate opportunity to support small through sharing your favorite local spots. Visitors will appreciate the mix of quality and getting to experience that &#8220;New Jersey&#8221; feel, and business owners will be grateful for the extra business.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>Read More:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/festivals-carnivals-fairs-new-jersey-summer-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Festivals, Carnivals, + Fairs in New Jersey for Summer 2026<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>If You Commute, Prepare Accordingly<\/h3>\n<p>NJ Transit has agreed to serve as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.njtransit.com\/press-releases\/fifa-world-cup-2026tm-new-york-new-jersey-host-committee-and-nj-transit-announce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">primary transportation provider<\/a> for game days, in partnership with the FIFA World Cup host Committee. If you&#8217;re a commuter, this won&#8217;t affect your day-to-day life too much, but be aware that there are designated days when NJ Transit will be limited to World Cup ticket holders. According to the NJ Transit website, &#8220;starting four hours before kickoff, NJ TRANSIT rail service between Penn Station New York and Secaucus Junction will be limited to FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket holders.&#8221; Tickets must be purchased in advance on NJ Transit&#8217;s app.<\/p>\n<p>The days affected by this plan are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-list-item-id=\"eb4b8124a1bb15075762d46a7540c429f\"><strong>Saturday, June 13<\/strong> | 6:00 PM<\/li>\n<li data-list-item-id=\"eb4b8124a1bb15075762d46a7540c429f\"><strong>Tuesday, June 16<\/strong> | 3:00 PM<\/li>\n<li data-list-item-id=\"eb5542f8b8e7163d39c141d2dcd522cdc\"><strong>Monday, June 22<\/strong> | 8:00 PM<\/li>\n<li data-list-item-id=\"e322344b8e2834aff859211170b24d1b6\"><strong>Thursday, June 25<\/strong> | 4:00 PM<\/li>\n<li data-list-item-id=\"e55b3154dc445c494c99b80832cf14093\"><strong>Saturday, June 27<\/strong> | 5:00 PM<\/li>\n<li data-list-item-id=\"e3e911ac16667f41c0bad721c9397c48c\"><strong>Tuesday, June 30<\/strong> | 5:00 PM<\/li>\n<li data-list-item-id=\"e3e911ac16667f41c0bad721c9397c48c\"><strong>Sunday, July 5<\/strong> | 4:00 PM<\/li>\n<li data-list-item-id=\"e3e911ac16667f41c0bad721c9397c48c\"><strong>Sunday, July 19<\/strong> | 3:00 PM<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>NJ Transit encourages avoiding nonessential travel on these dates if you use its services, or to plan trips around avoiding peak travel hours. Select NJ Transit trains will be temporarily diverted to accommodate MetLife Stadium-bound commuters and ticketholders.<\/p>\n<h3>Keep an Eye on These Local Events<\/h3>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/hoboken-world-cup-block-parties-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">World Cup Block Parties<\/a> | Hoboken<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The City of Hoboken and Hoboken Business Alliance (HBA) will be hosting a 12-day series of World Cup-themed block parties at different fan zones in the city.&nbsp; Each party will feature live match screenings, food and drinks from local businesses, pop-ups from local retailers, and live entertainment.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/news\/northern-new-jersey-world-cup-flag-cities-nj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">World Cup Fan Celebrations<\/a> | Various New Jersey Cities<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>5 New Jersey cities, denoted as &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/flagcities.com\/\">Flag Cities<\/a>&#8220;, will host World Cup fan celebrations with live streams, food trucks, games, artisan markets, soccer demonstrations, and more. The participating locations and dates are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Friday, June 12<\/strong> | Christopher Columbus Drive, Jersey City<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sunday, June 14<\/strong> | Overpeck Park, Bergen County<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sunday, June 21<\/strong> | Laurel Hill Park, Secaucus<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wednesday, June 24<\/strong> | Mulberry Plaza, Newark<\/li>\n<li><strong>Friday, June 26<\/strong> | Downtown East Rutherford<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/jersey-city-restaurant-fest-summer-fifa-world-cup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jersey City Restaurant Fest<\/a> | Jersey City<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jersey City Restaurant Fest is a recurring seasonal event, and this summer&#8217;s theme is &#8220;Taste the World&#8221;, based on the World Cup. It will take place from Monday, June 8th to Tuesday, July 14th, and for the first time in the event&#8217;s history, restaurants can participate in it for free.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/sports-illustrated-stadium-harrison-nj-fifa-world-cup-fan-hub\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jersey Fan Hub<\/a> | Harrison<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison is hosting a free Jersey Fan Hub event with real-time broadcasts, live entertainment, and interactive fan experiences. The stadium\u2019s private event space, known as the Hype House, will also be open to visitors with a massive display of 20 large screen TVs, a 360-degree bar, and a built-in stage for live performances.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/newarkfanvillage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Newark Fan Village<\/a> | Newark<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In partnership with New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the New Jersey Devils, a World Cup Fan Village will be hosted in Newark for the duration of the entire sporting event. It will be free to the public, with opportunities to watch every 2026 World Cup game live. It will be hosted at 80-84 Ferry Street, formerly home to the historic Iberia Tavern + Restaurant.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americandream.com\/dream-fan-fest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dream Fan Fest<\/a> | East Rutherford<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>American Dream will be hosting a fan fest with a festival atmosphere, including giant screens for watch parties, DJs, live entertainment, games, giveaways, food + drinks, and more.<\/p>\n<p>Plenty of bars + venues around the Garden State will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/fifa-world-cup-events-hoboken-jersey-city-new-jersey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">host watch parties<\/a> as well, and municipalities were recently granted permission to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/mikie-sherrill-hoboken-world-cup-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">extend bar hours<\/a> during the World Cup, according to New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill.<\/p>\n<h3>Consider Tuning In (Even if You Aren&#8217;t a Soccer Fan)<\/h3>\n<p>Soccer fan or not, such a massive event taking place in New Jersey is a <em>big<\/em> win. There will be plenty of interesting teams and narratives to keep an eye on as well, with a record-breaking 48 clubs participating in the World Cup, including the United States men&#8217;s soccer team. For a full list of the teams participating, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fifa.com\/en\/tournaments\/mens\/worldcup\/canadamexicousa2026\/teams\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>. Music fans will also be happy to know that the World Cup Final will have a <a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/world-cup-final-halftime-show-new-jersey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">halftime show<\/a> for the very first time, featuring Shakira, Madonna, and BTS.<\/p>\n<p>For more information and updates on the World Cup and its plans surrounding the New York-New Jersey area, visit its website <a href=\"https:\/\/nynjfwc26.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>See More:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.themontclairgirl.com\/food-festivals-new-jersey-summer-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Food Festivals Happening in New Jersey for Summer 2026, By County<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Follow @thenewjerseygirl on&nbsp;<a class=\"broken_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thelocalgirlhq\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">Instagram<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;+&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@thelocalgirlhq?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">TikTok<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;for the latest updates on Hoboken, Montclair, Bergen County, and more,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.myflodesk.com\/xdt5qdr3st\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">sign up for our weekly newsletter here<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;that shares everything you missed each week, and check out our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/calendar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">events calendar<\/span><\/a>, which has over 100+ events weekly to peruse.<\/p>\n<div class=\"categories\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/events -news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Events<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>game timeAt this point, everyone in New Jersey knows that the World Cup is on the horizon. It&#8217;s a few weeks away&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":413,"featured_media":225651,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[17,4,1,40,41],"tags":[10,9,11,12,38],"class_list":["post-225594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events-news","category-lifestyle","category-news","category-the-local-girl","category-world-cup","tag-events","tag-lifestyle","tag-news","tag-tlg","tag-world-cup"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Sports Fan&#039;s World Cup Guide for Normies - The New Jersey Girl<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The World Cup is coming to New Jersey this summer, and from local events to incoming traffic, there are many things to look out for.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Sports Fan&#039;s World Cup Guide for Normies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The World Cup is coming to New Jersey this summer, and from local events to incoming traffic, there are many things to look out for.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The New Jersey Girl\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-27T20:59:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-03T13:45:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Isiah Christie\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Isiah Christie\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Isiah Christie\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/55d4d6d0968fd3db0b8b7518c337e34f\"},\"headline\":\"A Sports Fan&#8217;s World Cup Guide for Normies\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-27T20:59:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-03T13:45:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1313,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/13\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Events\",\"Lifestyle\",\"News\",\"The Local Girl\",\"world cup\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Events\",\"Lifestyle\",\"News\",\"The Local Girl\",\"World Cup\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/fifa-world-cup-guide-new-jersey\\\/\",\"name\":\"A Sports Fan's World Cup Guide for Normies - 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