Another $7.5 million will be added to the loan given to the host committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority initially provided a $5 million revolving loan for the host committee for operational expenses. At the time, officials at the said the committee was using the fund to generate revenue to meet its obligations. It intends to draw in corporate sponsors and “other supporters.”
Last year an additional $2.5 million was added to the loan, bringing the total to $7.5 million, and on Thursday morning, the NJSEA added another $7.5 million to effectively double the loan amount.
According to the resolution authorizing the increase, the committee has until the end of 2026 to repay the loan.
To meet the requirements set by the international soccer organizations, each of the 16 cities holding matches has put a host committee in charge of getting ready. The “New York New Jersey” host committee is led by Lauren LaRusso and Bruce Revman.
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At Thursday’s meeting, the NJSEA also formed a “Major Events Committee” because of the “significant responsibilities of the authority in preparation for the eight FIFA World Cup 2026 matches that will be played at MetLife Stadium, including the final match, as well as other upcoming major events.”
The committee is made up of members of the agency’s board as well as the director.
More:What does 2025 hold for NJ as preparations for 2026 FIFA World Cup begin in earnest?
What has NJ spent to prepare for FIFA World Cup 2026?
This isn’t the only funding the state has dedicated to preparing for the tournament. There will be eight matches played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, including the final on July 19, 2026.
More than $33 million of taxpayer money is being used on a design-build contract for the new pedestrian bridge near MetLife Stadium. This second pedestrian bridge will be immediately to the north of the existing pedestrian bridge, between Meadowlands Parking Lot C and American Dream Parking Garage A, crossing Route 120 at the MetLife Sports Complex.
The state’s standard public advertising and bidding process was not used to award that contract with the NJSEA citing an executive order signed by former Gov. Jon Corzine that allows exemptions in “cases of unforeseen life, safety or health emergencies where the public exigency requires that services or products be purchased immediately.”
The order notes that an “emergency contract must be limited to purchasing those services or products necessary to mitigate the emergency situation.” It is unclear how an abbreviated timeline is cause for an emergency contract process.
Another $10 million in American Rescue Plan funds was allocated for planning and work on the bridge and the NJSEA is using a $25 million grant through the state’s Transportation Department for the project as well.
About $5 million of the state’s American Rescue Plan funding is being used to buy trucks and equipment needed to maintain the property in and around the stadium.
The pedestrian bridge is not to be confused with the so-called “transitway” being installed to help move fans from the Secaucus Junction train station to MetLife Stadium. That is actually a new roadway — a dedicated route for buses that will shuttle fans.
The cost of the project has not been made public yet, but the contract includes terminal upgrades at the Secaucus transfer station to handle additional bus loads, construction of a bus terminal at MetLife Stadium “capable of handling the doubling of current rail ridership capacity” and adding roadway and signal priority in between.
The state has also paid $35 million for NJ Transit to develop designs for expanding its transit system to serve the venue.
Another $13 million in state money is being used for additional design work, field construction and pitch maintenance equipment and services. Specifically, the NJSEA is buying two grass playing surfaces, one of which will be a backup, to meet the FIFA requirements.
That $13 million is part of the $30 million that was appropriated to the authority for “International Events, Improvements and Attraction” in the fiscal year 2025 budget.
The state provided $37.5 million to the authority in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. And $15 million was sent to the authority from the American Rescue Plan funding the state received in fiscal year 2022.
The state partnered with New York City in a joint bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in East Rutherford. The stadium will host eight matches, including the final, during a monthlong stretch in the summer of 2026.
The host city obligations are the responsibility of both New Jersey and New York City, and officials have previously said costs would be split with New York City. There is still no formal agreement in place and no official estimate of what bringing the tournament to the state will cost.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
