NEW JERSEY – The World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey on July 20 wraps up a tournament that shattered attendance records and has been hailed as a major economic victory for the region. 

US President Donald Trump, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will be among the dignitaries in attendance along with 80,000 spectators for the clash of football titans at MetLife Stadium.

Another 50,000 fans have tickets to a free watch party on Central Park’s Great Lawn, and New York City has organised more than 100 free screenings across its five boroughs. FIFA is also introducing a star-studded closing ceremony alongside a first-of-its-kind half-time show for the final, featuring Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber and BTS.

The festivities will help wrap up what is being hailed as a major success for FIFA and host nations US, Canada and Mexico, overcoming earlier concerns about sky-high ticket prices and potential strains on public transit systems. And while smoke from Canadian wildfires caused significant air pollution in the region in recent days, conditions are expected to improve by July 20.

Before the final has even been played, the New York-New Jersey host committee is already pointing to a substantial return. A host-committee study estimates that the group-stage period alone produced US$1.2 billion (S$1.55 billion) in direct economic impact, NYNJ host committee chief executive officer Alex Lasry told Bloomberg.

For Gonzalo Perez, an Argentinian living in Panama who attended his first World Cup in Argentina in 1978 and has travelled to later tournaments, the size and spectacle have distinguished this event from the previous tournaments.

“I think the US has the best of show business, which you don’t find in other countries, actually,” he said.