The World Cup may not come to the Meadowlands until 2026, but reaction to New Jersey serving as the host for the final and other games seems to be uneven across the Garden State. According to a Monmouth University Poll on Thursday, North Jersey residents were more engaged and excited than those in the southern part of the state. Most residents believed New Jersey will reap an economic benefit from hosting the event, but, in the end, neighboring New York will probably profit even more.
A recent survey by Monmouth University found that most residents of New Jersey are aware that their state will host eight games, including the final championship match, at MetLife Stadium. However, only 33% of respondents said they had heard a lot about it while 46% said they knew nothing at all. North Jersey residents were most likely to have heard a lot about it (41%) while South Jersey residents were least likely (46%).
According to Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, there is a clear difference in interest between North and South Jersey when it comes to the World Cup. Sixty percent of respondents from North Jersey said they are excited about hosting the tournament while only 27% of South Jerseyans felt the same way. This suggests that South Jerseyans may be more interested in attending matches played in Philadelphia than those taking place in East Rutherford.
Despite this difference in interest, many respondents believe that hosting the World Cup will bring economic benefits to New Jersey. A majority (59%) said they thought it would provide an economic boost while only 18% thought it would harm them economically. However, there is some concern that New York City – which is officially co-hosting matches taking place on Garden State soil – may benefit more than New Jersey itself. Only 13% thought that New York would see less economic benefit from hosting these matches than New Jersey would see from hosting them alone.
Overall, while there is some uncertainty about how much financial gain or loss each state might experience from hosting these matches, most respondents seem optimistic about their chances of benefiting economically from this global sporting event.
