multi-purpose stadium A multi-purpose stadium is a type of stadium designed to be easily used for multiple types of events. While any stadium could potentially host more than one type of sport or event, this concept usually refers to a design philosophy that stres ...

Meadowlands Sports Complex The Meadowlands Sports Complex is a sports complex located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The facility is owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA). It is named for the New Jersey Meadowlands ...

East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner suburb, inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 Unit ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and primarily hosted sporting events and ...

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

2026 FIFA World Cup The 2026 FIFA World Cup, marketed as FIFA World Cup 26, will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names, quadrennial international men's Association football, soccer championship contested by the List of men's n ...

SoFi Stadium SoFi Stadium ( ) is a domed multi-purpose stadium in Inglewood, California, U.S., a suburb of Los Angeles. SoFi occupies the former site of the Hollywood Park Racetrack and neighbors the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome. Opened in September 2020, the ...

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Law of the United States, U.S. federal law does not equate nationality with Race (hu ...

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Mets and Yankees during the 1974 and 1975 seasons and both the Jets and Giants in 1975, and Giants Stadium, which hosted both the Giants and Jets from 1984 to 2009. MetLife Stadium hosted

Super Bowl XLVIII Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2013 Denver Broncos season, Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2013 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks to ...

and will host multiple matches during the

2025 FIFA Club World Cup The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, also marketed as FIFA Club World Cup 25) is the 21st edition and the first of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, an international club soccer competition organized ...

and the

2026 FIFA World Cup The 2026 FIFA World Cup, marketed as FIFA World Cup 26, will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names, quadrennial international men's Association football, soccer championship contested by the List of men's n ...

, including both

finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

. It is the largest stadium in New Jersey with a capacity of over 82,000, along with being the largest venue in the NFL.

History

As

Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and primarily hosted sporting events and ...

approached 30 years of age, it was becoming one of the older stadiums in the NFL. The Jets, who had been the tenants to the Giants, were looking to have a proposed West Side Stadium built in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. Originally intended to be the 85,000-seat main stadium for New York's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, it was designed to be downsized to 75,000 seats for the Jets. However, it would have required significant public funding; progress on the project was halted in 2005 due to opposition from a number of sources, including

Cablevision Cablevision Systems Corporation was an American cable television company with systems serving areas surrounding New York City. It was the fifth-largest cable provider and ninth-largest television provider in the United States. Throughout its ex ...

, who owned the nearby

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

at the time. The Giants then entered into a joint venture with the Jets to build a new stadium in which the two New York teams would be equal partners.

Design and planning

The architects were tasked with designing a neutral stadium that would still embody the distinct personalities of both franchises. The Giants favored a traditional look of exposed steel framework and rusticated stone while the Jets wanted a sleek and modern look highlighted by metal and glass. With those features in mind the designers used the column/tower dynamic seen in many of Manhattan's

skyscrapers A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...

as inspiration for the stadium's design. The base of the stadium's facade is clad in

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

-like stonework while the rest of the stadium is distinguished by an outer skin of

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

louver A louver (American English) or louvre (Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, see spelling differences) is a window blind or window shutter, shutter with horizontal wikt:slat, slats that are angle ...

s and glass and by interior lighting capable of switching colors, depending on which team is currently playing–blue for the Giants and green for the Jets. This idea originated at the

Allianz Arena Allianz Arena (; known as Munich Football Arena for UEFA competitions) is a Association football, football stadium in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, with a 70,000 seating capacity for international matches and 75,000 for domestic matches. Widely kno ...

in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, Germany; which was previously shared between the city's two major

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

clubs, Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich. Unlike Giants Stadium, MetLife Stadium can easily be reconfigured for the Giants or Jets within a matter of hours. The louvers' total linear length is exactly 50,000 meters (50 kilometers) or 163,681 feet (31.1 miles). Front row 50 yard line seats are away from the sideline, which is the shortest distance of all NFL stadiums. To change the field decorations, two 4-person crews take approximately 18 hours using forklifts and other machinery to remove the 40 sections of Act Global UBU Speed Series which make up the teams' respective

end zone The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on the opposite side of the field ...

s. Replaceable team logos at midfield were removed in August 2010, after Domenik Hixon tore his anterior cruciate ligament at a practice at the stadium during training camp. For the next decade, the NFL's logo was painted at midfield, instead of the logo of one of the teams, also shortening the transition time. However, in 2023, the Giants announced they would paint their team logo at midfield during their home games, with the Jets likewise doing the same approach. The paint is formulated to be easily dissolved by water to ensure it can be quickly removed, and as such it is not expected to be used when precipitation is expected. If the two teams are playing each other, the designated home team will have its configuration around the stadium. During their annual preseason matchups, both the Giants and the Jets will have an end zone with their team logo. Additionally in 2023, the stadium installed a new artificial surface called the FieldTurf Core System, the first multilayer dual-polymer monofilament fiber surface. The new surface also contains heavyweight infill. Overall, the system should be more durable and lower incidences of player injury. Unlike a number of other new NFL venues, MetLife Stadium does not have a roof, as proposals to include a roof failed, over a dispute for funding. Thus, indoor events such as the

Final Four In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...

cannot be held at the facility, which runs counter to the original aims for a new arena in northern New Jersey. Ten giant HD-ready light emitting diode (LED) pylons, located at the north, south, east, and west entrances, display videos of the team currently in-house. The pylons measure approximately high by wide. Inside, are four by HD video displays, and hang from each corner of the upper deck. The new stadium seating bowl is laid out similar to that of Giants Stadium and has seating for 82,500 people, including 10,005 club seats and approximately 218 luxury suites, making it the largest NFL stadium in terms of total seating. The seating bowl is also raked in a way that eliminates overhangs from the upper decks that would impede views and allows fans to see the full arc of a punt. MetLife Stadium includes a total of four locker rooms: one each for the Giants and Jets, as well as two for visiting teams. The home teams have locker rooms on opposite ends of the stadium with a visitors' locker room adjacent to it. On most game days the visitors use the locker room at the end opposite that of the home team while the unused visitors' locker room is used for spillover by the home team. For games in which neither the Giants or Jets are playing, each team uses one of the visitor's locker rooms. When the Giants and Jets play each other, each team uses its own locker room plus the adjacent visitor's room for spillover. In 2012, DLR Group partnered with

NRG Energy NRG Energy, Inc. is an American energy company, headquartered in Houston, Texas. It was formerly the wholesale arm of Northern States Power Company (NSP), which became Xcel Energy, but became independent in 2000. NRG Energy is involved in energ ...

to design and install a "Solar Ring" on the upper rim of MetLife Stadium. The Solar Ring consists of 1,350 building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV)

solar panels A solar panel is a device that converts sunlight into electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells are made of materials that produce excited electrons when exposed to light. These electrons flow through a circuit and produce direct ...

assembled into 47 individual frames. The BIPV panels are illuminated with LED lighting and programmed to display the signature blue and green colors of the Giants and the Jets along with other hues for events such as concerts, soccer matches, and college sports. The panels generate about 350 KW, nearly 25 times the amount of electricity that's actually needed to power the LED display system. The excess power generated can go into the general stadium use or back to the grid. In January 2024, renovations began on the lower bowl of MetLife Stadium to enlarge the playing field to meet necessary FIFA requirements to host the eight games, including the final, of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. To limit disruption of regular stadium usage, the project is being done in two phases. Phase I was completed in May 2024 and Phase II will commence in January 2025 and be completed in May 2025. To expand the field's dimensions for the tournament and maintain the current NFL seating capacity and layout, four corners of the existing precast concrete seating bowl will be demolished and replaced with a new modular steel composite seating system that includes related mechanical, electrical, audio visual and plumbing adjustments. Additionally, 1,740 permanent seats will be replaced with the new seating system.

Technical agreements

Lease terms

Meadowlands Sports Complex - kingsley - 04-JUL-09

The two teams formed the New Meadowlands Stadium Company, LLC, a 50/50 joint venture, to build and operate the stadium. The two teams leased the parcel of land on which the stadium stands from the NJSEA for a 25-year term, with options to extend it which could eventually reach 97 years. After the 15th year of the lease, and every five years, hence; one of the two teams may opt out of the lease after giving the state 12 months notice. The first such opportunity to opt out will occur in 2025 with a notice date of 2024. There will then be an opportunity to opt out in 2030, 2035, 2040, etc. However, if one team leaves for a new stadium, the other team would have to remain for the remainder of the lease. However, the high cost of building and relocating to a stadium makes it very unlikely. The teams also get parking revenue from the Meadowlands' western parking lots year round, even when there are no events at the stadium (this would occur when other parts of the Meadowlands host events).

Naming rights

Allianz Allianz SE ( , ) is a German Multinational corporation, multinational financial services company headquartered in Munich, Germany. Its core businesses are insurance and asset management. Allianz is the world's largest List of largest insurance ...

, a financial services and insurance company based in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, Germany, expressed interest in purchasing naming rights to the stadium. The proposal was for a period of up to 30 years, and was estimated to be valued at between $20 million and US$30 million. Allianz sponsors the venue that inspired the color-change technology for MetLife Stadium:

Allianz Arena Allianz Arena (; known as Munich Football Arena for UEFA competitions) is a Association football, football stadium in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, with a 70,000 seating capacity for international matches and 75,000 for domestic matches. Widely kno ...

in Munich. Allianz's proposal drew protests from New York's

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community (the largest outside of Israel) and the Anti-Defamation League, due to Allianz previous close ties to the government of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, secretary general of the North American Board of Rabbis, noted however that while the survivors' sensibilities were understandable, a naming deal is legitimate, noting "I have found Allianz to be receptive, to be sensitive and a friend of the Jewish people today." No agreement was reached and talks between Allianz and the teams ended on September 12, 2008. On June 27, 2011, it was reported that

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

-based insurance company

MetLife MetLife, Inc. is the Holding company, holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), better known as MetLife, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, Annuity (US financial produ ...

entered discussions to purchase naming rights to the stadium. The new name, ''MetLife Stadium'', became official when all parties signed a 25-year deal on August 23.

EPA agreement

In June 2009, the New Meadowlands Stadium Corporation and the EPA signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines plans to incorporate environmentally-friendly materials and practices into the construction and operation of MetLife Stadium. The agreement includes strategies to reduce air pollution, conserve water, and energy, improve waste management, and reduce the environmental impact of construction. The goal of the agreement is to save the emission of nearly 1.68 million metric tons of

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...

during the stadium's construction and its first year of operation. Under this agreement, the stadium construction must use around 40,000 tons of recycled steel, recycle 20,000 tons of steel from Giants Stadium, install seating made from recycled plastic and scrap iron, and reduce air pollution from construction vehicles by using cleaner diesel fuel, diesel engine filters, and minimizing

engine idle An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ge ...

times. Other goals of this agreement include providing mass transit options for fans and replacing traditional concession plates, cups and carries with compostable alternatives. The New Meadowlands Stadium Corporation is to report the progress on its goals to EPA every six months. Based on the reports, the EPA has stated it will quantify the benefits of the venue's environmental efforts.

Accessibility and transportation

MetLife Stadium is accessible by car via Exit 16W on the western spur of the

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although ma ...

(

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

) and is also located adjacent to NJ Route 3 and NJ Route 120.

Coach USA Coach USA, LLC is a holding company for various American transportation service providers providing scheduled intercity bus service, local and commuter bus transit, city sightseeing, tour, yellow school bus, and charter bus service across the ...

provides the 351 Meadowlands Express Bus service between MetLife Stadium and the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving ab ...

.

New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. It ...

provides the 353 Bus service for select events between MetLife Stadium and

Secaucus Junction Secaucus Junction (signed as Secaucus) is an intermodal transit hub served by New Jersey Transit Rail Operations, New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) and Metro-North Railroad in Secaucus, New Jersey, Secaucus, New Jersey. It is one of the List of b ...

. The Meadowlands Rail Line operates on event days between

Meadowlands station Meadowlands station (also known as Meadowlands Sports Complex station) is a New Jersey Transit train station that is the western terminus for the Meadowlands Rail Line located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ...

and Hoboken Terminal via Secaucus Junction, where there is connecting service to

Pennsylvania Station (New York City) Pennsylvania Station (also known as New York Penn Station or simply Penn Station) is the main inter-city rail, intercity railroad station in New York City and the List of busiest railway stations in North America, busiest transportation facili ...

, Pennsylvania Station (Newark), and other New Jersey Transit rail operations. The line opened to the public on July 26, 2009. MetLife Stadium enforces a clear bag policy, allowing only transparent bags no larger than 12”x6”x12” and small clutches of 4.5”x6.5”, with exceptions for medically necessary items after inspection.

Awards and recognition

In 2009, MetLife Stadium was named the "Greenest Stadium" in the NFL by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In July 2017, MetLife Stadium was named "Venue of the Year" by the Stadium Business Summit. The award is awarded to the world's best stadium, arena or sports venue, that deserves recognition for an outstanding performance over a 12-month period.

Notable events

Firsts and notable moments

* The first event at the stadium was the

Big City Classic The ''Inside Lacrosse'' Big City Classic was an annual college lacrosse triple-header event played in East Rutherford, New Jersey from 2009 to 2013. It was held at first at Giants Stadium and then MetLife Stadium, the home fields of the NFL's New ...

lacrosse event, held on April 10, 2010. * September 12, 2010: The

Giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...

hosted the first NFL regular season game in the stadium's history against the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

, winning 31–18. * September 13, 2010: The Jets played their first game at the stadium, against the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

on ''

Monday Night Football ''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...

'', losing 10–9. * November 14, 2010: The stadium encountered two power outages during a game between the Giants and the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

. The game was delayed about twenty-five minutes. * December 19, 2010: The

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

staged a comeback against the Giants in what has become known as the ''

Miracle at the New Meadowlands The Miracle at the New Meadowlands, also called "New Miracle at the New Meadowlands" and "Miracle at the Meadowlands II" was an improbable Comeback (sports), come-from-behind win by the 2010 Philadelphia Eagles season, Philadelphia Eagles over t ...

'', coming back from being down 31–10 with about eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter to win 38–31, capped off by

DeSean Jackson DeSean William Jackson (born December 1, 1986) is an American college football coach and former player who is the Head coach, head football coach at Delaware State Hornets football, Delaware State University. Known for his speed, he is recog ...

's game winning punt return as time expired. * September 11, 2011: On the 10th anniversary of the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, a ceremony was held prior to the game between the Jets and the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

honoring the victims of the attacks. The Jets defeated the Cowboys 27–24. * December 24, 2011: The visiting

Giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...

defeated the hosting Jets 29–14 in what was the biggest regular season match-up between the two New York teams in recent years, due to postseason implications for both sides. Victor Cruz blew open a tight game with a 99-yard touchdown reception. The victory helped propel the Giants into the playoffs while contributing significantly to eliminating the Jets from a postseason appearance. * January 8, 2012: MetLife Stadium hosted its first NFL playoff game, with the Giants defeating the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

24–2 in an NFC Wild Card Game, en route to their

Super Bowl XLVI Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...

championship. * November 23, 2014: During a 31–28 loss to the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

on Sunday Night Football,

Giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...

wide receiver

Odell Beckham Jr. Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. (born November 5, 1992), commonly known by his initials OBJ, is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers and was selected ...

snagged a 43-yard one-handed touchdown catch from

Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning family, he is the youngest ...

early in the second quarter. The catch, which was completed with only three fingers while Beckham was being interfered with, has been hailed by

Cris Collinsworth Anthony Cris Collinsworth (born January 27, 1959) is an American former professional football player and sports broadcaster who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981–1988) with the Cincinnati Bengal ...

, Tony Dungy, Victor Cruz, and

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...

as the best catch of all time. * February 9, 2020: The

New York Guardians New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

of the XFL played their first game at MetLife Stadium against the Tampa Bay Vipers, winning 23−3 in front of 17,634 fans.

Super Bowl XLVIII

On May 25, 2010, it was announced that

Super Bowl XLVIII Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2013 Denver Broncos season, Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2013 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks to ...

was awarded to the stadium, the first time a

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...

would be played in the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

, and the first time that a non-domed stadium in a cold-weather city would host it. Normally, Super Bowls must be held in indoor climate-controlled stadiums if they are held in a city with an average temperature lower than . However, NFL commissioner

Roger Goodell Roger Stokoe Goodell (born February 19, 1959) is an American businessman who has served as the National Football League Commissioner, commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) since 2006. Goodell began his NFL career in 1982 as an admi ...

waived this requirement and allowed MetLife Stadium on the ballot because of a "unique, once-only circumstance based on the opportunity to celebrate the new stadium and the great heritage and history of the NFL in the New York region." The game was played on February 2, 2014. The temperature at kickoff was , making it only the third-coldest Super Bowl on record. The

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

defeated the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

43–8 for their first Super Bowl victory.

WWE

MetLife Stadium has twice hosted WrestleMania—the flagship

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...

event of the

professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...

promotion WWE. WrestleMania 29 was held at MetLife Stadium on April 7, 2013. With 80,676 spectators, it was the third most-attended event in WWE history, and the highest-grossing event in WWE history at $12.3 million. Six years later, MetLife Stadium hosted WrestleMania 35 on April 7, 2019, overtaking WrestleMania 29 with an attendance of 82,265, and $16.9 million in revenue. Six years later after WrestleMania 35, MetLife Stadium is set to host the first ever two-night

SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...

, on August 2-3, 2025.

Soccer

MetLife Stadium is also designed for

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

. To prepare for a match, the stadium uses retractable seating in the field level corners to fit a

FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...

-sanctioned soccer field. Along with being noted for providing exceptional sight-lines, this has allowed the stadium to host several major international matches. The first international exhibition match was between

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

and

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

on May 7, 2010, in front of 77,507 fans. The stadium hosted another international exhibition soccer match between the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

on August 10, 2010. Brazil won 2–0 in front of a near-sellout crowd of 77,223; the game was played on a temporary grass field. On March 26, 2011, the stadium hosted an international friendly, between the United States and

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

, which ended in a 1–1 draw and was played in front of a sellout crowd of 78,926. On June 18, 2011, the stadium hosted two quarter-final matches of the

2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition, and the 21st CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's 50 years of existence. The United States was the host nation. The competition started on Jun ...

.

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

played

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

to a 1–1 draw with Honduras winning on penalties 4–2 in the first match. The second match featured Mexico against

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

with Mexico winning 2–1. On June 9, 2012, Argentina and Brazil played a friendly match, with Argentina winning in a thrilling 4–3 match featuring a

Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...

. Another exhibition match in preparation for

2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil fr ...

was played on November 14, 2012, between

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

and

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, with Brazil acting as the local team despite a higher affluence of Colombian fans. On August 4, 2013, the stadium hosted two second round matches of the 2013 International Champions Cup. The first match saw

Valencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol, S. A. D. (; ), commonly referred to as Valencia CF or simply Valencia, is a Spanish professional Association football, football club based in Valencia, Spain, that currently plays in La Liga, the top tier of the Spani ...

defeat

Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...

4–0 and the second match saw Chelsea F.C. defeat A.C. Milan 2–0. On November 15, 2013, Argentina and Ecuador played an international friendly to a 0–0 draw. On June 10, 2014, the stadium hosted an international friendly before the

2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil fr ...

between the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

with Portugal beating Ireland 5–1. On September 9, 2014, the stadium hosted an international friendly between Brazil and Ecuador with Brazil victorious 1–0. On March 31, 2015, the stadium hosted an international friendly rematch of Argentina and Ecuador with Argentina prevailing 2–1 in front of 48,000 fans. On July 19, 2015, the stadium hosted hosted two quarter-final matches of the

2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup The 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 13th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and the 23rd CONCACAF regional championship overall in the organization's fifty-four years of existence. It was held in the United States, with two matches bei ...

.

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

played

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

to a 1–1 draw with Panama winning on penalties 6–5. The second match saw Mexico defeat Costa Rica 1–0. On August 3, 2016, MetLife Stadium hosted a 2016 International Champions Cup match between

Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...

and

FC Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), commonly known as Bayern Munich (), FC Bayern () or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. They are most known for their men's professional association foo ...

; Real Madrid won the match 1–0. On July 22, 2017, a match of the 2017 International Champions Cup was played between

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly known as FC Barcelona and colloquially as Barça (), is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of ...

and

Juventus Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...

. Barcelona won the match 2–1 in front of 82,104 fans. MetLife Stadium hosted two matches as part of the 2018 International Champions Cup. The first match on July 25, 2018, between

Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is a professional football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's (West Gorton), they became Ardwick Assoc ...

and

Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founded in ...

, with it ending 2–1 in favor of Liverpool, and the second match on August 7, 2018, between Real Madrid and

AS Roma Associazione Sportiva Roma (''Rome Sport Association''; Italian pronunciation: Help:IPA/Italian, ) is a professional Association football, football club based in Rome, Italy. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma has participated in the top tier ...

, also ending in a 2–1 victory for Real Madrid. On September 7, 2018, the stadium hosted the United States and Brazil in an international friendly match as part of U.S. Soccer's "Kickoff Series", which Brazil won by a score of 2–0 with goals from Roberto Firmino and

Neymar Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (; born 5 February 1992), also known as Neymar Júnior or simply Neymar, is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a left winger, attacking midfielder or Forward (association foo ...

. On September 11, the stadium hosted an international friendly between Colombia and Argentina. On July 29, 2019, during the 2019 International Champions Cup, the stadium hosted the first Madrid derby held outside of Europe between Real Madrid and

Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...

, which Atlético won 7–3. On September 6, MetLife Stadium hosted the 70th all time meeting of the United States and Mexico with Mexico winning 3–0 in front of a crowd of 47,960. On July 23, 2023, the stadium hosted an international friendly between

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

clubs

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

and

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

in front of a stadium soccer record crowd of 82,262 with United winning 2–0. On August 3, 2024, MetLife Stadium hosted a preseason match of El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid with Barcelona winning 2–1 in front of 82,154 fans. On September 28, 2024, it was announced that Metlife Stadium would be one of 12 venues that will host the

2025 FIFA Club World Cup The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, also marketed as FIFA Club World Cup 25) is the 21st edition and the first of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, an international club soccer competition organized ...

. In addition, it was also announced that it will host the final on July 13, 2025.

Copa América Centenario

The stadium hosted the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

of the Copa América Centenario—a special U.S.-hosted edition of the

Copa América The CONMEBOL Copa América (; known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship), often simply called the Copa America, is the top men's quadrennial association football, football tournament contested among list of men's national ass ...

tournament co-organized by

CONCACAF The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, abbreviated as CONCACAF ( ; typeset for branding purposes since 2018 as Concacaf), is one of FIFA's six continental governing bodies for association football. Its 4 ...

, marking the centennial of South America's soccer federation

CONMEBOL CONMEBOL ( ) or CSF (; ; ), is the continental governing body of football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations. The oldest continental confederation in the world, its headquarters are located in Luque, Parag ...

. After a 0–0 draw after extra time,

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

beat

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

4–2 on penalties to win the tournament.

2024 Copa América

The stadium hosted three matches during the 2024 Copa América: two in the group stage and a semi-final match.

2025 FIFA Club World Cup

The stadium will host nine matches during the

2025 FIFA Club World Cup The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, also marketed as FIFA Club World Cup 25) is the 21st edition and the first of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, an international club soccer competition organized ...

, including the final.

2026 FIFA World Cup

MetLife Stadium is one of 16 venues, as well as one of the eleven American venues which will host matches during the

2026 FIFA World Cup The 2026 FIFA World Cup, marketed as FIFA World Cup 26, will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names, quadrennial international men's Association football, soccer championship contested by the List of men's n ...

. As per FIFA requirements, the stadium will have a grass field installed for the World Cup matches. During the event, the stadium will be temporarily be known as "New York/New Jersey Stadium" in accordance with FIFA's policy on corporate sponsored names. In February 2024, the stadium was announced as the host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. In addition, the stadium will host five group stage matches, one Round of 32 match, and one Round of 16 match.

College football

On October 16, 2010,

Rutgers Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...

hosted

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

in the first college football game to be played in the new stadium, with the Scarlet Knights defeating the Black Knights in overtime, 23–20. During the game's second half, Rutgers player Eric LeGrand was injured on a special teams play, defending a Rutgers kickoff, and paralyzed from the neck down.

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

has hosted selected home games at MetLife Stadium in lieu of the Carrier Dome. The first of these games, branded as ''New York's College Classic'', was played in 2012 against the visiting

USC Trojans The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ...

, who won 42–29. In 2013, the team opened its season against its

rival A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

at the stadium, losing 23–17. In 2014, the team hosted the

Notre Dame Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 26 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...

at MetLife Stadium, losing 31–15. A rematch was held in

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

, once again losing to the Fighting Irish 50–33. On November 16, 2019, MetLife Stadium hosted the 61st Cortaca Jug rivalry game between the

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is the lowest division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that do not offer athletic scholarships to student- ...

Cortland Red Dragons The Cortland Red Dragons (also known as the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons or the Cortland State Red Dragons) are composed of 23 teams representing the State University of New York at Cortland in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's bas ...

and Ithaca Bombers. With an attendance of 45,161, it set a record for the most-attended football game in Division III history. The game was held at MetLife Stadium as part of season-long commemorations of the 150th anniversary of college football. On December 11, 2021, MetLife Stadium hosted the 122nd Army-Navy Game. This was the first time the historic matchup was held at MetLife and the fifth time it was held in East Rutherford. Previous matchups were held at Giants Stadium in 1989, 1993, 1997, and 2002. Navy defeated Army 17–13.

Outdoor ice hockey

On June 3, 2023, the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

announced that MetLife Stadium would host two outdoor games as part of the 2024 NHL Stadium Series. The

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...

hosted the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

on February 17, 2024. Devils captain Nico Hischier scored the first NHL goal in MetLife Stadium history on a breakaway 32 seconds into the first period of the game, ultimately scoring two goals on the night en route to the Devils victory over the Flyers by a final score of 6–3 before a crowd of 70,328 fans. The following day, the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

defeated the

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...

6–5 in overtime following a 3-goal comeback from a 3–5 deficit in front of 79,690 fans in attendance, which was the third largest attendance in NHL history. Rangers forward Artemi Panarin was awarded the game-winning goal 10 seconds into overtime as the net came off its moorings by Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson. After video review, it was confirmed that the puck would've crossed the goal line had the net stayed in place. This was the first time MetLife Stadium had ever hosted NHL hockey, the first time outdoor NHL hockey had ever been played in the state of New Jersey, and the fourth and fifth time outdoor NHL hockey would be played in the New York City/New Jersey area.

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...

hosted two games as part of the 2014 NHL Stadium Series, in which the New York Rangers won both games, defeating the New Jersey Devils 7-3 and defeating the New York Islanders 2–1.

Citi Field Citi Field is a baseball park, baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Boroughs of New York, borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opened in 2009, Citi Field is the home of Major League Baseball's New York M ...

previously hosted the 2018 NHL Winter Classic as well, with the Rangers defeating the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...

3–2 in overtime.

Concerts

Other events

The stadium hosted the 12th Siyum HaShas, a celebration of the completion of the Talmud through the -year Daf Yomi study program, on August 1, 2012. At 93,000 seats, it was the highest capacity crowd in the stadium's history, due to on-field seating and a ticket sell-out. The siyum was a Department of Homeland Security level two security event, the most critical short of a presidential visit. On January 1, 2020, it hosted the 13th Siyum HaShas. On June 6, 2027 it will host the 14th Siyum HaShas. The stadium hosts the annual Summer Jam festival sponsored by

WQHT WQHT (97.1 FM broadcasting, FM, ''Hot 97'') is a commercial radio station, licensed to New York, New York, which broadcasts an urban contemporary music format. The station is owned by Mediaco Holding, a subsidiary of the Standard General hedge ...

FM ("''Hot 97"''). Since 2012, the stadium has been the main site of the two-day electronic music festival Electric Daisy Carnival's stop in the

New York Metropolitan Area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

bringing electronic acts including Armin Van Buuren,

Hardwell Robbert van de Corput (; born 7 January 1988), known professionally as Hardwell, is a Dutch DJ and music producer from Breda. He was voted the world's number one DJ by ''DJ Mag'' in 2013 and again in 2014. In 2022, he was ranked at number 43 in ...

, Porter Robinson and

Tiësto Tijs Michiel Verwest (; born 17 January 1969), known professionally as Tiësto ( , ), is a Dutch DJ and record producer. He was voted "The Greatest DJ of All Time" by ''Mix (magazine), Mix'' magazine in a 2010/2011 poll amongst fans. In 2013, h ...

.

Monster Jam Monster Jam is a live motorsport event tour operated by Feld Entertainment. The series began in 1992, and is sanctioned under the umbrella of the United States Hot Rod Association. Events are primarily held in North America, with some addition ...

has also come to the stadium since 2012. In 2014, two of the "Keep Seeking First God's Kingdom!" International Conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses were held at the stadium. On July 14 and 15, 2017, the stadium hosted the 18th International Indian Film Academy Awards, the

Oscars The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence i ...

of

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

, for the first time. On January 16, 2018, the stadium hosted the inaugural ball for newly elected New Jersey

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Phil Murphy Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American politician, diplomat, and financier serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was elected governor i ...

.

NFL attendances

In 2023, the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

and the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

were among the NFL teams with the highest average home attendance. Only the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

drew a higher average home attendance, with 93,594 in 8 home games, although the average home attendance of the Cowboys was 80,000 without people watching on screens at the party decks. The table shows the average home attendances of the Giants and the Jets at MetLife Stadium.

References

External links

*
MetLife Stadium
at StadiumDB.com
New Meadowlands Stadium Project Scoping Document

Overgaard Ltd. / Facade Design & Supply

MetLife Stadium Seating Chart
Media from the New York Jets and New York Giants:
New Jets Stadium Tour with Woody Johnson

Virtual Tour and Fly-Through Video of NMS

January 2010 New Jets Stadium Tour

NJ/NY 2014 Super Bowl XLVIII Bid Presentation

Time-lapse Video of Stadium Changeover

Stadium naming rights

MetLife Stadium Presser

Bryant Park MetLife Stadium Celebration
, - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{Authority control Sports venues in Bergen County, New Jersey East Rutherford, New Jersey Meadowlands Sports Complex Music venues in New Jersey New York Giants stadiums New York Jets stadiums New York Guardians NFL venues American football venues in New Jersey Soccer venues in New Jersey Sports venues completed in 2010 Tourist attractions in Bergen County, New Jersey MetLife 2010 establishments in New Jersey