The Local Girl Team 
Excitement for the 2026 World Cup events in New Jersey is building, and a new set of fan events has just been announced. World Cup-related festivities will take place in five Northern New Jersey ‘Flag Cities’ as part of a series of celebrations. The events will take place throughout June 2026 in Jersey City, Secaucus, Newark, East Rutherford, and Leonia, New Jersey. Read on for more about the Flag Cities celebrations and how to participate.
Flag Cities
The five Flag Cities are Jersey City, Secaucus, Newark, East Rutherford, and Leonia, which will be the sites of the festivals. The ticketed events will feature food trucks, games, artisan markets, soccer demonstrations, and more. At the center of it all will be live streams of other World Cup games on giant LED screens.
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Event Dates & Locations:
Friday, June 12 – Christopher Columbus Drive, Jersey City
Sunday, June 14 – Overpeck Park, Bergen County
Sunday, June 21 – Laurel Hill Park, Secaucus
Wednesday, June 24 – Mulberry Plaza, Newark
Friday, June 26 – Downtown East Rutherford
It’s anticipated that over 5,000 attendees will be at each event, and vendor applications are open now, including food trucks and other amenities.
New Jersey non-profit organization Table2Table is a partner of the event, where representatives will educate attendees about food waste, reduce food waste, and serve neighbors in need.
World Cup 2026
The FIFA World Cup (which is affectionately referred to as just the “World Cup”) is a competitive men’s soccer tournament hosted every four years. The teams involved are members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), who each represent a national association, whether that be a country, territory, region, or colony.
The members of the event are based on a “qualification phase” that takes place over the preceding three years to determine tournament eligibility. Qualifying teams are determined by geographical region, with each region having its own requirements. All require a qualifying team to win a regional group or playoff bracket, which punches their ticket to the World Cup. This year’s World Cup is unique in that it will feature 48 qualifying teams, versus the previous tradition of 32.
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The World Cup will be hosted at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. The tournament will run from June 11, 2026, to July 19, 2026, with eight matches hosted in New Jersey, including the World Cup Final. The dates are as follows:
- June 13: Brazil vs. Morocco
- June 16: France vs. Senegal
- June 22: Norway vs. Senegal
- June 25: Ecuador vs. Germany
- June 27: Panama vs. England
- June 30: Round of 32 (teams undecided)
- July 5: Round of 16 (teams undecided)
- July 19: World Cup Final
The first five matches are “group stage” games to head to the best-of-32 playoffs, which will include the game days on June 30 and July 5.
While New Jersey prepares itself to play host to thousands of international soccer fans, organizers have faced challenges with receiving federal funding. Funding for security is of particular concern, as it has been approved, but the funds have not been dispersed yet due to the partial government shutdown.
Meanwhile, short-term rental company Airbnb is encouraging residents to list their properties, offering bonuses for homes and rooms in certain locations.
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