Дэлхийн аваргын шигшээ тоглолт болохын өмнөхөн ФИФА болон Нью-Жерси мужийн захирагч Мики Шеррилл нарын хооронд талбайн зүлэг худалдсантай холбоотой маргаан дэгдлээ.
ФИФА байгууллага 2026 оны дэлхийн аваргын шигшээ тоглолт болох МетЛайф цэнгэлдэхийн зүлгийг жижиглэн 450-3,000 ам.доллароор худалдаалж эхэлсэн нь Нью-Жерсигийн удирдлагуудын дургүйцлийг төрүүлжээ. Тус мужийн татвар төлөгчдийн 13.04 сая ам.доллароор шинэчлэн тохижуулсан талбайг зөвшөөрөлгүйгээр ашиг олох зорилгоор борлуулж буй нь хууль бус үйлдэл гэж орон нутгийн хууль тогтоогчид үзэж байна. Шерриллын зүгээс татвар төлөгчдийн мөнгөөр боссон бүтээн байгуулалтын орлогоос мужийн иргэд хувь хүртэх ёстой гэсэн байр суурийг илэрхийлжээ.
Хэдийгээр ФИФА болон хамтарсан зохион байгуулах хороо талбайн борлуулалтаас олсон орлогын дийлэнх хэсгийг бүс нутгийн хөрөнгө оруулалтад зарцуулахаар төлөвлөж буйгаа мэдэгдсэн ч, талуудын хоорондох үл ойлголцол үргэлжилсээр байна. Нью-Жерси муж болон Нью-Йорк хот дэлхийн аваргын төлөө олон зуун сая ам.долларын хөрөнгө оруулалт хийсэн ч тээврийн зардал, цэнгэлдэхийн нэршил болон тасалбарын хуваарилалт зэрэг асуудлаар ФИФА-тай удаа дараа зөрчилдөж ирсэн юм.
Энэхүү маргаан нь дэлхийн хамгийн том спортын арга хэмжээний санхүүгийн ачааллыг хэрхэн хуваалцах, орон нутгийн иргэдийн эрх ашгийг хэрхэн хамгаалах вэ гэсэн томоохон асуултуудыг дагуулж байна. Нью-Жерсигийн эрх баригчид татвар төлөгчдийн хөрөнгөөр санхүүжүүлсэн бүтээн байгуулалтыг хамгаалахын тулд шаардлагатай бүхий л арга хэмжээг авахаа мэдэгдээд байна.
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On Sunday, New Jersey will host the FIFA World Cup final. But there has still been time for one more collision between the New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill and world soccer’s governing body in the week leading up to the most popular sporting event in the world.
The latest argument broke out this week. It came when it emerged that FIFA is selling small pieces of the MetLife Stadium pitch, where the 2026 World Cup final will be played, on its website.
Priced at $450, a note on the sales page told buyers that parts of the pitch, encased in resin to preserve the grass, will be shipped after the final on July 19. The collectibles are manufactured by UK-based Keep Stub, which offers three additional versions on its website, priced at $900, $1,200 and $3,000. Each of the four tiers is limited to 2,026 pieces, meaning that if they all sell out, they will generate more than $11.2 million in revenue.
This provoked concern in the New Jersey governor’s office, as New Jersey taxpayers were the ones who paid for the field in the first place. According to documents obtained by northjersey.com, the New Jersey Sport & Exposition Authority spent $13.04m to ensure the turf would be up to FIFA’s standard, with the public agency attributing the spending to “design work, field construction and pitch maintenance equipment and service.” The NJSEA is a public authority and operates the MetLife Sports Complex.
To them, therefore, it looked like New Jersey had taken on all the costs, while FIFA basked in the profit. Steve Sigmund, a spokesperson for Gov. Sherrill, told The Athletic: “As the Governor has said, New Jersey paid multiple millions for the total expense for the pitch at MetLife stadium, so New Jersey taxpayers should share in any proceeds.”
New Jersey Assembly Republicans agreed with Gov. Sherrill, a member of the Democratic Party, underlining how hostility towards FIFA has become a cross-party venture in New Jersey.
“FIFA needs to get off our turf, literally,” said Assemblyman Mike Inganamort. “New Jersey taxpayers funded $13 million in upgrades to MetLife Stadium, including replacing the artificial turf with grass. Additionally, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority holds the stadium’s land lease. This is state-owned property. FIFA can’t just sell off the soccer pitch without permission.”
“What is happening is not just a bad deal for the taxpayers of New Jersey, it’s illegal. The Sherrill administration must use every tool at their disposal to stop FIFA from selling off our field, including seeking a restraining order.”
The MetLife Stadium will host the World Cup final on Sunday (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)
The lawmaker, sits on the Assembly Budget Committee, continued: “It is American-grown grass paid for by the taxpayers of New Jersey and planted at a state-owned complex. The sale must follow all the rules and laws that dictate how state surplus property is sold. It must benefit New Jersey taxpayers — not FIFA or a host committee that splits resources across New Jersey and New York.
“FIFA’s World Cup was bankrolled by New Jersey taxpayers, and they have walked all over us. This is the final insult. It is time this administration stands up to them.”
In this case, however, sources close to both FIFA and the joint host committee have claimed that, on this occasion, FIFA are only partially responsible. They say that the host committee and FIFA have an agreement with FIFA to to sell a small portion of the pitch, which extends to around five yards in total.
They say the host committee will then receive the majority of the proceeds, which goes back into the committee’s continued investments in the region. FIFA receives a smaller revenue share than the host committee for the use of FIFA’s licensing, which FIFA sources say is a single figure percentage.
Sigmund, a spokesman for Gov. Sherrill, wants the money to go more directly to New Jerseyans, given New Jersey’s investment, rather than going to a joint host committee to divide up or invest.
Natalie Hamilton, communications director for the host committee said: “Investments, including the pitch, made by New Jersey, New York State, New York City, the federal government, and our partners have generated billions of dollars in economic impact, hundreds of millions of dollars in regional tax revenue, and permanent infrastructure improvements that will last well beyond the World Cup. The tournament has been a massive success and we can’t wait to welcome the world for the largest sports and entertainment event in history.”
Collectively, New York and New Jersey have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into this World Cup. Between New York City and New York state, the host committee has received $61 million, and New Jersey has put in $50m — $15m of which was a loan from the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.
The states have also spent millions marketing themselves around the World Cup, while they jointly received over $66 million in federal security funding. New Jersey also spent more than $37m on improvements to MetLife Stadium, while $40m has been spent — with $13.2m in federal assistance — for a new pedestrian walkway near MetLife. A further $40m has been budgeted for New Jersey agency costs which may emerge over this summer.
The calculus, with all of this, is that the spending will be recovered in the estimated $3.3 billion worth of economic impact, although such studies are often treated with caution.
Gov. Sherrill and FIFA previously clashed over public transportation costs to World Cup games, after the New Jersey politician directed the state transit agency to ensure state taxpayers did not subsidize the cost of round-trip rail tickets from Manhattan to MetLife Stadium. This meant that a ticket for the 18-mile journey, usually priced at $12.90, rose to $98 for World Cup fans during the tournament. FIFA said the pricing would have a “chilling” effect.
Sherrill mounted a strident defense at the time, saying that FIFA is forecasting $11billion in revenue during the tournament while tickets were going for up to $10,000 to watch the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. She said that FIFA ought to step up and share the financial burden on U.S. host cities.
“I won’t stick N.J. commuters with that tab for years to come, that’s not fair,” Gov. Sherrill said. “FIFA should pay for the rides, but if they don’t, I’m not going to let N.J. commuters be taken for one.”
Then came a dispute over the new, FIFA-approved name for MetLife Stadium during the World Cup — officially New York New Jersey stadium. An official request was made by New Jersey governor Sherrill for one of two major signs at the stadium to read “New Jersey New York”, despite the host city official name being the other way round since bids were first submitted in 2018.
The governor wanted New Jersey’s role, investment and contribution to the World Cup to be better reflected, and her office wanted the name to be changed. According to a source with knowledge of the discussions, the name change request was made a couple of months ago when FIFA requested some operational changes to matters at the venue and Gov. Sherrill’s office said they were prepared to comply, but asked for the name change in return.
There was also displeasure towards the joint New York New Jersey host committee when The Athletic first revealed New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani had secured 1,000 $50 tickets for New Yorkers, creating affordable options exclusive for residents of his city. A spokesperson for Sherrill said: “FIFA not caring about costs for New Jersey residents isn’t new.” Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco III sent a letter to host committee CEO Alex Lasry demanding an affordable ticket access program for Bergen County residents. A week before the tournament, the New York New Jersey host committee then made 770 tickets available for free for New Jerseyans.
