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Skanska has begun work to renovate MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a preparation for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
The American arm of the Sweden-based developer and contractor began building the home of the NFL’s New York Jets and New York Giants in 2010, and has returned more than a decade later to upgrade the site for one of most important international sporting events of mankind.
In 2026, MetLife Stadium will host eight FIFA World Cup tournament matches, including the final.
Project work will include the demolition of four corners of the existing stadium seating and the installation of a new modular steel composite seating system with associated mechanical, electrical, audiovisual and plumbing adjustments.
Skanska will also remove 1,740 permanent seats to expand the dimensions of the field for World Cup games and replace those seats in the modular system to maintain the NFL’s current seating numbers and layout.
The construction will be carried out in two phases, so as not to interrupt the activity of other stadiums and the programming of the local team. Phase 1, which began in January, is expected to end in May 2024. Phase 2 will take place during the same months of 2025.
New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which oversees MetLife Stadium, received $30 million in public funding for a 2022 World Cup renovation project, Sports Business Journal reported.
The total cost of the project was not disclosed.
