New York doesn’t rely on the World Cup to achieve success
I’m excited about the FIFA World Cup finals being at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford in 2026. What a great opportunity for New York, New Jersey!
But Mayor Eric Adams’ claim that the “world’s biggest sporting event” will bring our city $2 billion in revenue based on a predicted 1 million tourists is confusing.
“It’s a huge win for us,” Adams boasted. His enthusiasm for the supposed bonanza raises the question of how much confidence they have in New York City.
They seem to believe the economy of the “greatest city in the world” is fragile and requires traveling carnivals to keep it afloat, even if the event is located seven miles west of the Hudson River.
The gross domestic product of the five boroughs in 2022 was $1.5 trillion, so a billion or two from the World Cup is chump-change to such a big city.
Is Adams’ World Cup headcount accurate — or even possible?
MetLife Stadium only holds 82,500 spectators. Even if he meant to say the $2 billion would flow from all eight FIFA games to be held at MetLife, they’d accommodate a total of 660,000 — still 340,000 short of a million.
Some (if not most) of the overflow will stay in East Rutherford, giving the overworked hotels and restaurants in the area a breather in June.
The claim that every large-scale spectacle brings a cash frenzy is common, but the estimates are often used to camouflage being wrong.
There isn’t proof that the Marathon pulls in $427 million for hotels, stores and restaurants. The same goes for Fashion Week, which supposedly pumps $900 million into the economy each year.
There is a history of overstating and over-celebrating the cash spree from every parade, festival or holiday event.
The collective insecurity of New York’s “leaders” belies the propaganda about New York City’s fortunes.
New York City is forever faced with draconian, life-altering service cutbacks due to a “budget crisis” — until it isn’t.
After months of sky-is-falling coverage, Adams recently restored threatened funding to the NYPD, NYFD and for schools and sanitation.
Today of course it’s Miami that supposedly will turn out our lights. But don’t worry, folks! The carnival will save us, even if you need a ticket on New Jersey Transit to get there.
scuozzo@nypost.com
