MetLife Stadium is gearing up to hold the championship game for the largest sporting event in history for the 2026 World Cup, but with still 2 years left until the event kicks off, the stadium has begun to get in the soccer mindset. Later this month, MetLife Stadium will play host to three Copa América games, two of them in the group stages and one in the semi-finals.
The Copa América is the soccer championship for South America, with an expanded field this year that will now include 6 North American teams. The tournament, which follows a similar format to the World Cup, was last held in the United States in 2016 and will return there again this summer.
Of the 14 stadiums chosen as venues for the event, MetLife Stadium boasts the highest capacity, demonstrating why they were chosen to host the World Cup Finals. In 2016, MetLife Stadium also played host to three games during the tournament, including the finals, drawing an average crowd of over 70,000 fans across those games.
MetLife Welcomes World Champs in First Game
On June 25, MetLife Stadium will be hosting its first game for the Copa América 2024 and it will see Chile face off against the reigning World Cup champions Argentina. Coincidentally, we saw this same matchup occur at MetLife Stadium almost 8 years ago, on June 26 when Chile defeated Argentina in the championship game. The matchup boasted an attendance of over 82,000, with fans from across the world coming to watch this legendary match with some of the world’s greatest players.
Lionel Messi, one of the most renowned athletes in the world, is set to join Argentina in the Copa América after leading them to a World Cup victory in 2022. The monetary value that his name alone provides is evident, as tickets for the match are selling for no less than $200. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
The next match in East Rutherford will be just a few days later, on June 27, when Uruguay takes on Bolivia. While the game may not feature the same star power that Lionel Messi brings, Uruguay demonstrated their potential during their performance in 2021, when they finished 2nd in Group A during the group stages, defeating both Paraguay and Bolivia.
The most high-stakes game of the three will come a few weeks later on July 9, when MetLife Stadium will host the semi-finals and though the matchup is still to be determined, it is sure to feature two great teams in an exhilarating battle. The pressure will be on, as the winner of this game will move on to the championship game, where they are just one win away from glory.
There is no question that MetLife Stadium will be filled with talent when the games begin, as they will be hosting some of the best teams in the tournament. Argentina has been regarded as the odds-on favorite to win the tournament, looking to defend their title after winning it back in 2021. Uruguay is also favored by the public, who view the team as the third-most likely to win, only behind Argentina and Brazil.
To find more information about the Copa América games in the Meadowlands, visit https://www.metlifestadium.com/events-tickets/event-calendar.