As anticipation builds for New Jersey hosting the World Cup next summer, anxieties are also swirling among international soccer fans worried they'll be targeted by Trump administration immigration policies.
But Gov. Phil Murphy, who championed bringing FIFA's soccer tournament to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, said he's not concerned about that and is optimistic it'll be a "blowout success and a safe World Cup."
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"Based on all the vibrations I hear, and we hear a lot, we're obviously working very closely with the administration, with FIFA – this is going to be done in a first-class, welcoming way," Murphy said at a World Cup-related event at Liberty State Park in Jersey City on Wednesday.
Next year's World Cup will be the biggest in history, with 48 teams and three host countries – the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, with eight matches to be played at MetLife Stadium, including the final.
More than 1 million people are expected to travel from across the world to attend the matches. Camille Varlack, a deputy mayor to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, claims it will generate as much as $3.4 billion in economic revenue for the region. Varlack said up to 70% of that will benefit New York City, which is New Jersey's host partner.
Alex Lasry, CEO of the host committee for New Jersey's matches, urged tourists who may be worried to apply for a visa early and follow all the required steps. Lasry is focused on making sure everyone has a good time, he stressed.
"The world doesn't stop for these sporting events, and you have to go with the flow and make sure you're able to adapt, be a part of, and make sure that you're able to put on a successful event, despite geopolitics," he said.
Last month, Vice President J.D. Vance made an ominous warning to fans planning to visit for the most popular sporting event in the world.
"Of course everybody is welcome to come and see this incredible event. I know we'll have visitors probably from close to 100 countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game," he said. "But when the time is up, they'll have to go home. Otherwise, they'll have to talk to Secretary Noem," referencing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Noem oversees U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Adding to some fans' unease, President Donald Trump's travel ban and visa restrictions on nearly two dozen countries – including Iran, which qualified for the tournament – also went into effect this week. Officials Wednesday said that doesn't apply to athletes for the World Cup.
"I don't want to speak for the president, but where it is today versus where it lands a year from today, a long road to travel between now and then," Murphy said. "But anybody who qualifies, based on everything I know, is going to be welcomed whether their games are in the United States, Canada, or Mexico."
Philadelphia host committee CEO Meg Kane appears more anxious about how Trump administration policies will affect the tournament, telling The Guardian that officials are "planning within uncertainty."
"There are certainly things that are happening at the national level, the international level. There are going to be geopolitical issues that we don't even know right now that are going to affect the tournament next year," Kane told the outlet.
The focus of Wednesday's event was to mark the one-year countdown to the first match. Liberty State Park will be transformed into an official "fan fest" site for watch parties for all 104 matches. Murphy noted that Major League Soccer, the professional league in the U.S. and Canada, was founded in response to the United States hosting the 1994 World Cup.
"I can only imagine what will be born out of this World Cup, and most importantly, in the communities in the region on both sides of the Hudson," Murphy said.
New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com.