More than 700 youth soccer players took to the field at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday to work on their game on the same turf some of the world’s most elite athletes played on just hours before.
Organized by the regional host committee for the FIFA World Cup 2026, kids 8-12 from across New Jersey and New York participated in drills at what was the first of what officials hope will be many community-based events over the course of the next two years.
“This is really the first step of what we’re able to do,” said Bruce Revman, co-chair of the New York New Jersey Host Committee. “If you want to grow football, this is the region. The ceiling is still high. There’s still so much opportunity. This is the start of what you can do to build that over the next two years, you’ll see a lot more of these types of activities in our region.”
Lionel Messi, a soccer legend, led his Argentinian team to a 2-0 victory over Canada in the semifinals of the Copa America tournament Tuesday night. That tournament has drawn significant attention to the sport and gave the host committee a taste of what to expect when the world flocks to East Rutherford in two years. It is not affiliated with FIFA.
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Revman and his co-chair, Lauren LaRusso, said they attended the match and learned from the way things like transit and security were handled as they continue planning for the tournament in 2026.
“It’s different pieces that will be here for 2026 but there’s still always lessons that you can learn,” LaRusso said. “We weren’t involved so much in the planning, but we’re able to kind of look at it and say, ‘OK, what are some improvements?’ There’s always room for improvement in terms of these events so we’re going to try and build on this.”
She noted that local and state police especially were able to get a feel for what an international fanbase is interested in doing and how fans utilize transportation.
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While everything host committee members do looks ahead toward the tournament, they were at the stadium to talk about what comes after and how the eight MetLife Stadium matches — including the final — of the World Cup will impact the next generation of soccer in the region.
There are plans to build 26 mini pitches, which Revman said are still in the works, but that the host committee doesn’t plan to wait until 2026 to start building them. He noted that working with the U.S. Soccer Foundation will help deliver those elements and communities in underserved neighborhoods.
New Jersey native Cassidy Gabriel, a project lead at the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, said the event was important because it helps to get more kids involved and out on the field.
She said that the centre is working on an initiative called Generation 2026, which will focus on improved youth safeguards and increased youth participation.
“We are liaising with FIFA. They are one of our engaged organizations so we’re making sure they know what’s happening in our community,” she said. “Making people aware of what it’s like to live in New York and New Jersey has been a huge part of the initial part of this work.”
Gabriel said that they have focused on conveying things like where people have access to soccer, where transportation to games is an issue, where kids have been priced out of club teams, where the YMCA is heavily utilized and where coaches step in to help when parents are working.
The priority is making sure that children in under resourced communities have access to the game, said Ed Foster-Simeon, president and CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation.
“The way the game has grown here been largely middle class and suburban,” he said. “This is an opportunity to expand access to the game. This is part of our legacy vision. It’s not just building infrastructure. It’s making sure that all children have access to opportunity to enjoy health and social benefits and participation.”
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
