It's Coming Home!

In 2018, sure that England, the country that didn't invent soccer but popularized it around the world, were going to win the World Cup, the English media released a slogan: "It's Coming Home."

It went home, all right: The World Cup Trophy is named for the founder of the tournament, FIFA President Jules Rimet, who was French. In 2018, France won it.

We already knew that the 2026 World Cup would be a joint hosting effort between the U.S., which had previously hosted in 1994; Mexico, which had done so in 1970 and 1986; and Canada, which never had, although it had hosted the Women's World Cup in 2015. What we didn't know was where the Final would be held.

In 1994, the games were held mainly in the suburbs of major cities New York, Giants Stadium, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey; Boston, Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts; Detroit, the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan; San Francisco, Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California; and Los Angeles, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Within cities, games were held at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, Soldier Field in Chicago, the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, and the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

(Of those 9, only the Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl and the Citrus Bowl still stand, and the Citrus Bowl has been renamed Camping World Stadium. Soldier Field and Stanford Stadium have been replaced with new stadiums on the site, while Giants Stadium and Foxboro Stadium were replaced by new stadiums next-door.)

The choice for the venue the Final came down to 3: New York and Los Angeles, as the 2 biggest cities; and Washington, as the national capital. Since the Rose Bowl had the biggest seating capacity, it was chosen.

The venues for the 2026 World Cup were announced yesterday. In Canada: BMO Field in Toronto and BC Place in Vancouver. In Mexico: Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, which hosted the 1970 and 1986 Finals; Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, outside Monterrey; and Estadio Akron in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara. In the U.S.:

* MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing New York.

* Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

* Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, representing Boston.

* Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

* Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, representing Miami.

* Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

* AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, representing Dallas.

* NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

* SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, representing Los Angeles.

* Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, representing San Francisco.

* Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.

All 13 of the stadiums in the U.S. and Canada are in metropolitan areas with at least 1 Major League Soccer franchise, 5 are currently home to MLS teams, and 2 previously hosted a team. None of these is a holdover from the 1994 World Cup, although, of the 11 U.S. sites, 6 are in markets that are. And 7 have previously hosted Super Bowls.

Why not Washington, the nation's capital? Simple: The stadium issue. With the demolition of RFK Stadium, the biggest stadium in the city is Nationals Park, and that's a baseball-specific stadium. The next-biggest is Audi Field, and the home of the city's MLS team seats only 20,000. The suburbs, of course, have a bigger stadium: FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, which has hosted many soccer games. But it's considered inadequate, particularly with its distance from the city's subway system.

For a while, the Final seemed narrowed down to 2: New York and Los Angeles -- or, more accurately, the Meadowlands and Inglewood. It seemed like a difficult choice. After all, America does not have a "national stadium." I was hoping the Final would come, not just to New York, but to New Jersey.

Sometimes, the choice is easy. England hosted in 1966, and put the Final at Wembley Stadium in London. Mexico, as I said, put it at the Azteca both times. Brazil put it at the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro both times they hosted. Italy has put it in their national stadium in Rome both times (although not the same stadium). West Germany put it at the Olympic Stadium in Munich in 1974, and, after the country was reunited, had the Olympic Stadium in Berlin available in 2006, and put it there.

But just last week, a rumor got around that the choice for the Final had been narrowed to 2: Los Angeles/Inglewood and Dallas/Arlington. And Arlington was the favorite.

Texas? A State that has proven itself to be openly hostile to foreigners coming in, hosting the biggest event in the world?

Dallas? The city that killed a President and became synonymous with greed and excess?

AT&T Stadium? The home of the Dallas Cowboys?

Oh, hell, no! I was infuriated.

The announcement was yesterday, and I was apprehensive. Were they really going to give it to Dallas? 

No. It was given to MetLife. To New York. To New Jersey. As they would say in England, it will be on my manor.

That made me happier than the game a few hours earlier, when Arsenal beat Liverpool, 3-1.

For all that is wrong with the sport, its governing body, and its signature tournament, I am not merely pleased, but proud that it's coming to my home.

I just hope that the State government, through the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority and New Jersey Transit, fix the issues that messed up Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. They have 2 years to get whatever kinks remain out.

*

Days until the next Arsenal match: 6, this coming Sunday, at 9:00 AM New York Eastern Time, away to West Ham United in East London. They are out of both domestic cups, but only 2 points behind Liverpool for 1st place in the Premier League after beating them yesterday, and still in the UEFA Champions League.

Days until the New Jersey Devils again play a local rival: 12, on Saturday, February 17, 2024, at 8:00 PM, away to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Days until the next New York Red Bulls game: 20, on Sunday, February 25, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, away to Nashville SC. This is the season opener. Under 3 weeks.

Days until Donald Trump's federal election trial begins: 28, on Monday, March 4. Exactly 4 weeks. If we're lucky, he'll be convicted before the Republican Convention, and the Republican Party will do the right thing, and drop his fat fascist ass.

Days until the next game of the U.S. National Soccer Team: 45, on March 21, at 7:00 PM (6:00 local time), in the CONCACAF Nations League, home to Jamaica, at AT&T Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas.

Days until the Yankees' season opener: 52, on Thursday, March 28, time TBA, away to the Houston Astros. Under 2 months.

Days until the Yankees' home opener: 60, on Friday, April 5, at 1:05 PM, vs. those pesky Toronto Blue Jays. Exactly 2 months. Unusually, the Yankees do not have the day after the home opener off, in case of rainout.

Days until the next North London Derby: 82, on Saturday, April 27, at 10:00 AM New York time, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The game will almost certainly be rescheduled, to a different time, maybe to a different day, for the purpose of TV ratings. But it will still be that weekend. Under 3 months.

Days until the Red Bulls again play a nearby rival: 96, on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 7:30 PM, home to the New England Revolution.

Days until the Yankees' next series against the Boston Red Sox begins: 130, on Friday night, June 14, 2024, at Fenway Park. A little over 4 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympic Games: 172, on Friday, July 26, 2024, in Paris, France. Under 6 months.

Days until the next Rutgers University football game: 208, on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at 12:00 Noon, home to Howard University. Under 7 months.

Days until the next East Brunswick High School football game: Unknown, as the schedule hasn't been released yet. If it goes as usual, starting on the 1st Friday in September at 7:00 PM, that will be on September 6, 2024. That's 214 days, or a little over 7 months.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge game: Unknown. If the 2024 game is played in the same week of the year as was the 2023 game, a close 30-28 loss, it will be on Friday, September 20, at 7:00 PM, away, at Vince Lombardi Field. That would be 228 days. Under 8 months.

Days until the next Presidential election: 274, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Exactly 9 months.

Days until the next elections for Governor of New Jersey and Mayor of New York City: 638, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. A little under 2 years, or a little under 21 months.

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: Unknown. With the expansion of the Big Ten Conference for the 2024 season, these 2 schools will not play each other in 2024. They are set to play each other in 2025, but a date has not been set. Since Rutgers entered the Big 10 in 2014, the Penn State game has usually been on the 3rd or 4th Saturday in November. If that holds true, then it will be on November 22, 2025, at 12:00 Noon, in Piscataway, at what's currently named SHI Stadium. (The naming rights could well be sold to someone else by then.) If that turns out to be when it's played, that's 656 days.

Days until the next Winter Olympics open in Milan, Italy: 732, on Friday, February 6, 2026. Almost exactly 2 years, or 24 months.

Days until the next World Cup opens: 854, on Monday, June 8, 2026. Under 2 1/2 years, or a little over 28 months.

Days until the World Cup Final in New Jersey: 895, on Sunday, July 19, 2026. Under 2 1/2 years, or a little over 29 months.