2026 World Cup Live Updates: New York New Jersey Stadium matches, security and more

The transformation is underway at MetLife Stadium ahead of its first World Cup match there on Saturday.

The stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey is forced to change its name from MetLife to New York New Jersey Stadium for the duration of the games, because FIFA has strict rules on endorsements.

New Jersey reporter Toni Yates was there, where she got a tour of the stadium as it prepares to welcome soccer fans from around the globe.

Toni Yates reports from the stadium.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced 500 free World Cup tickets for working families with kids, first responders and military families.

The tickets will be given to the lucky recipients through the Alliance of New York State YMCAs and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

David Novarro has the latest on Gov. Hochul's announcement.

Each ticket will come with a free round-trip shuttle bus ticket to New York New Jersey Stadium.

It comes on the heels of Gov. Mikie Sherrill announcing 770 free tickets for New Jersey residents earlier this week.

While NYC already allows bars to stay open until 4 a.m., the legislation will override any local regulations that mandate earlier closing times.

Thirty-eight of the state's 62 counties have earlier closing times for restaurants and bars serving alcohol.

Though all the games are played in U.S. time zones, the scheduled start times of some games run very late. A group stage match between Austria and Jordan at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay area, for example, is scheduled to start at midnight on June 17.

"The World Cup is coming to New York and I want every New Yorker and local business to be part of the action and celebration, no ticket required," Governor Hochul said. "From the first kick to the last whistle, bars and restaurants across our state can stay open throughout the tournament, bringing New Yorkers together to cheer on every goal and supporting small businesses across the state."

It's the busiest crosstown street in Manhattan, used by more than 25,000 vehicles and 300,000 pedestrians every day. But on eight days over six weeks, 42nd Street will be shut down for several hours and open only to shuttle buses moving soccer fans to and from the World Cup.

The corridors will run crosstown, from river to river. Portions of West 40th and West 41st streets will also be closed. Additional corridors will take up two lanes on 5th and 6th avenues to access pick-up and drop-off locations.

It's all part of a master plan to move tens of thousands of fans to the World Cup. New Jersey Transit has its own system, which will limit certain trains to ticketholders during certain hours.

The city's street closures will be in effect only on game days-but for several hours before and after the matches.

A full breakdown of the traffic patterns on match days can be found on the NYCDOT website.