MetLife Stadium has not hosted an NFL playoff game since Super Bowl XLVIII, when the Seattle Seahawks routed Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos. It is one of just two NFL playoff games in the 16-season history of the New York Jets and New York Giants’ shared home.
However, the stadium has played host to a number of high-stakes matches in the sport that most folks around the planet think of first when they hear the word “football”.
Most recently, on Sunday afternoon, Norway defeated Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Legendary goalscorer Erling Haaland secured both goals in the victory, sending Norway to the Quarterfinal to face England. That game will take place in Miami Gardens, at the home stadium of the New York Jets’ rivals, the Miami Dolphins.
Norway’s victory highlighted a grim reality for Jets fans.
This marked Norway’s second World Cup victory at MetLife Stadium, following their 3-2 win over Senegal on June 22. In addition, France has also secured two wins at MetLife Stadium in this year’s World Cup.
That means Norway and France have each collected as many wins at MetLife Stadium as the New York Jets since the start of the 2025 season.
You read that right.
The Jets struggled mightily to defend their home field in 2025, finishing with a 2-6 record and a -90 point differential. They lost half of their home games by at least 15 points and failed to secure a single win by double-digits.
In fact, the Jets scored only 15 touchdowns at MetLife Stadium last season. Norway (5) and France (6) have combined for four fewer goals at the stadium in this year’s World Cup… in half as many games.
MetLife is set to host the World Cup Final on July 19. France is the favorite to win the tournament, while Norway has the fifth-best odds, so one or both teams could tack on more goals soon.
These numbers are a dark, yet unsurprising reminder of how dull the Jets have looked in recent years, even on their own home field. The franchise’s hope, though, is that first-round talents David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq, and Omar Cooper Jr. can bring the same type of stadium-rocking firepower that Haaland and Kylian Mbappé have displayed in the Meadowlands this summer.
