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FIFA president Gianni Infantino gave no
indication as to which of the host cities across the three
countries would stage the finale when the venues were announced
last year.
The neighbouring states, which will welcome fans at the MetLife
Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey - face stiff competition
from Los Angeles, whose $5.5 billion indoor-outdoor SoFi Stadium
has more of a razzmatazz appeal.
"We want to host the final. There is no better place to host the
final than at MetLife Stadium," said retired NFL hero Michael
Strahan, who made his name with the New York Giants but has now
fallen in love with soccer.
"This is football, okay? That thing I did is guys running around
in tight pants running into each other."
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who was joined at the Times
Square launch by New York Mayor Eric Adams, promised a spectacle
beyond what the region has ever seen before.
The venue, then known as "Giants Stadium", hosted seven World
Cup matches in 1994 and four during the 1999 Women's World Cup.
"We think we're going to get at least eight games - that's eight
Super Bowls," said Murphy.
"Every single ticket will be sold out, I guarantee you. No
matter who's playing."
The launch event was among several in host cities across the
continent on Thursday, a day after Los Angeles launched the "WE
ARE 26" campaign to promote the tournament.
Infantino called the slogan "a rallying cry."
"It's a moment when three countries and an entire continent
collectively say: 'We are united as one to welcome the world and
deliver the biggest, best and most inclusive FIFA World Cup
ever'," he said.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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