The 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than a month away from coming to the Meadowlands, which signals that many of the region’s fan events are also on the horizon. Flag Cities is one of the Meadowlands’ most interactive and engaging fan events for the FIFA World Cup, bringing celebrations to cities throughout Bergen County, Passaic County and Essex County during the tournament.
Each Flag Cities event will take place in the days leading up to a 2026 FIFA World Cup match being played at MetLife Stadium. The first Flag Cities event is scheduled to occur on Friday, June 12 at Columbus Drive in Jersey City. The event will begin at 5 p.m. and last until 11 p.m.
At Flag Cities events, there are a variety of different ways to keep guests entertained, including food trucks, live music, vendors and a beer garden. However, the star of the show is the soccer match broadcasts that will be displayed at the event from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For Jersey City’s Flag Cities, the match being streamed will be USA vs. Paraguay.
The match will begin at 9 p.m. and is the United States’ first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As one of the host countries, the expectations are higher than they’ve ever been for the United States, with many hoping they can make it farther than they did in the 2022 rendition of the tournament.
The game is being played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, where the United States is being given highly favorable odds to come out of the match with a victory. The last time that the two teams faced off in a non-friendly match was on June 11, 2016 during a Copa América group stage match. The United States would go on to defeat Paraguay by a score of 1-0 and will hope to repeat their success next month.
The following day, on June 13, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will officially kick off at MetLife Stadium, with the venue’s first game of the tournament being played. The game will feature two of the sport’s top teams, as Brazil and Morocco face off against each other.
With a population of roughly 300,000, Jersey City is the second-most populated city in the Garden State, making it the perfect location to kick off Flag Cities. It is one of New Jersey’s most diverse areas, which aligns with Flag Cities’ goal of celebrating the diverse cultures and backgrounds that will be coming to the region in honor of the tournament.
Jersey City’s Flag Cities event is the first of seven FIFA World Cup activations that will be making its way across northern New Jersey. The event offers guests an opportunity to immerse themselves in the 2026 FIFA World Cup experience, while also enjoying all the entertainment offered.
To learn more about Jersey City’s Flag Cities event, visit https://flagcities.com/#locationdates.