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For the past few weeks, soccer has taken over America. Everyone became obsessed with a 6'5" Norwegian. The TSA had to beg tourists to stop packing ranch in their carry-on suitcases. And we all learned that Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi once gave Spain's Lamine Yamal a bath.
All of this fanfare came to a head on Sunday at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. At the invitation of Verizon to experience their new Verizon Shine loyalty program, I was one of 80,000 people spending the blisteringly hot afternoon in the stands at MetLife Stadium (rebranded as New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament) in East Rutherford, N.J. I got to enjoy pitchside access and catch behind-the-scenes details TV viewers missed. I was able to witness the first World Cup halftime show in history, followed by a nail-biting Spanish victory in extra time, in the flesh. And I learned just what it's like to attend one of the biggest sporting events in the world — and see how they pulled it all off.
It was so, so hot
The temperature hit a high of 82 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, which seems nice in theory. But in practice, you felt every single degree inside the stadium. No cloud coverage at an outdoor venue meant that after 20 minutes, my entire body felt sticky. By the halftime show, getting up from my seat felt like going down a water slide. People took off their shirts, used flags as sun covers and brought handheld fans. The players themselves cooled down in the sprinklers that watered the pitch throughout the game. As soon as a break was called, Spain's players were immediately walking over to stand underneath the water spray. We were all being baked alive. And sure, only some of us had to run up and down a gigantic stretch of grass and get knocked over by grown men while chasing a ball, but the experience felt communal and bonding.
Getting in and out of the stadium was not as bad as you might think
New York New Jersey Stadium was at full capacity for the game, which meant more than 80,000 people had to somehow get in and out of the stadium safely and smoothly. Since this is such a star-studded event, I was prepared for a lot of security and was not surprised by the number of safety measures in place. Tickets were checked three times, and stadium security and New Jersey police officers flanked every inch of the venue.
What did surprise me was how smooth it was, considering the circumstances. I never really waited all that long. There were so many steps in the process that you kind of just moved from one to the next seamlessly. People even brought their dogs to the game. Personally, I thought that was a little overkill, but from what I could tell, security was prepared for literally everything.
My kingdom for a cup of ice
It was pretty hard to find water or non-alcoholic beverages during the game. The first stand I went to told me they didn't have water or soda, just hard seltzer and beer, which was a heart-wrenching thing to hear when my brain was beginning to stick to the sides of my skull. Another stall had no ice and just one remaining bottle of water, which my group split between four people.
Argentina fans showed up en masse
The crowd was mostly a sea of blue, though a few large patches of red peeked through. But Spain fans still made sure they were known. Their chants rang just as loudly as those from Argentina fans. (Worth noting: Argentina kept on going even after the game, continuing to sing their fight songs to the team when they stood facing the audience after losing to Spain.)
You could hear Pau Cubarsí's fall
Argentina's Enzo Fernández got sent off the field after he received two yellow cards during the game, which meant a red card and automatic ejection. It was the first time a player had been red-carded in a final since 2010, and only the sixth-ever red card to be issued in a final game.
Fernández's second yellow card came after he collided with Spain's Pau Cubarsí. People debate how hard the falls are all the time, but I heard this one, in real time. Cubarsí went flying in the air and when he landed, you could hear a crack resounding through the stadium that somehow reached me in Row 15. Maybe I just haven't watched enough soccer, but the sound sent a chill right down my spine. You have an understanding of how professional athletes put their bodies on the line, but hearing the echo of a man's body crunching on grass is really sobering.
Halftime was a tightly run ship
Of course, the game also saw the first-ever FIFA halftime show, with performances from Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber and K-pop juggernauts BTS. Jason Sudeikis made a special appearance onscreen to give Bieber a pep talk as Ted Lasso, and Miss Piggy appeared at the end to sing with Kermit the Frog and the children of the world.
Seeing it all in person felt like watching a high school graduating class put together a high-octane, one-take lip-sync video to post on YouTube. There were a lot of logistics. Before things even kicked off, I could see the members of BTS poking their heads out from one of the walkout corners, just to try and get a lay of the land (or maybe they were just craning to watch the crew set up the field) before the show started. Even the seven coolest men on the planet have to figure out where they need to walk next, I suppose.
Madonna's performance took place mostly off the pitch, which meant we attendees were stuck watching the TV too, though we got to see the setup for the rest of the performances. Orchestra members in blue suits stood on one side, dancing and waiting for their cue to lead into the (in my opinion) very awesome Muppets performance. Everything was set up like a row of dominoes, with one thing immediately triggering the next phase.
Not every performance got massive cheers
Shakira was undoubtedly the fan favorite of the stadium, lighting the audience up with her performance of "Dai Dai" alongside Burna Boy. People were really excited to see Bieber too, but seemed to quiet down once they realized he was singing acoustic. We also couldn't see the fun camera angles that wound up on TV, so the image of one tiny person walking around with a guitar didn't exactly signal for us to get hyped. I don't think people were necessarily disappointed — just maybe a little confused by the sudden vibe switch.
Then things got a little random
I did think it was really funny that after the fireworks and dancers and bright colors and seamless cues and timing, the halftime stars just kind of found their own way off the pitch. Shakira casually strolled off by herself, slipping on sunglasses so she could walk off the pitch underneath the blazing sun. Bieber meandered off in a melancholy way, guitar slung to his side. He headed straight to BTS's V, who dapped him up on the sidelines.
Most of the halftime show props were stored randomly underneath the stadium, in the gray concrete halls below the stands, to be dealt with after the game. While walking with some Verizon Shine customers who had won “Golden Tickets” to go pitchside, I saw the flooring being rolled up and shoved onto a pallet truck. That's show business, folks!
There were some big names — and boos
There were celebrities lingering everywhere, mostly in the VIP boxes, though some — including Camila Morrone and Drake — were baking in the stands with the rest of us. We were more likely to see stars on the big screen than brush up against them in person, but I did manage to glimpse Saturday Night Live cast member Marcello Hernández snapping a quick photo a few rows behind me, which ended up on his Instagram. A quick shot of Knicks star Jalen Brunson on the big screen received the loudest cheers from the audience — some fans yelled "King of New York" at him — followed by the surprise glimpse of Beyoncé sitting in her shaded box. And yes, I can confirm that President Donald Trump was met with boos when he walked on the pitch for the post-match award ceremony.
Argentina's post-loss stretches felt … awkward
Crew members started setting up for the awards ceremony minutes after the game ended. Never mind that Argentina's players were still doing their post-match hip flexor stretches in one large huddle. It was tragicomic to watch it unfold on the field — the blue-and-white jerseys in seated pigeon pose as people rushed around them, wheeling out giant air pumps. The team walked off right as the inflatable version of the World Cup trophy they'd just failed to win was erected.
Argentina fans cried, Spain partied, mayhem unfolded, the end
The end of the game was emotional — both on the pitch and off. Yamal fell to his knees in prayer after Spain's win just moments before a fight broke out right behind him. While it looked like a bunch of different events on social media, it actually kind of all happened at the same time, within the span of a few minutes — especially since the fight was separated pretty quickly. But the chaos was only just beginning. Fans were standing on top of their chairs. People were chanting and screaming. Everyone started walking in every direction, some streaming to the pitch, others out of the stadium. And I saw several little boys in Argentina jerseys sobbing into their mothers' arms, which was heartbreaking.
