EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — On the morning of the World Cup final, the parking lots of MetLife Stadium were already full of people lining up to get into the gates.
U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the match between Spain and Argentina, his first of the tournament. His presence at sporting events consistently creates longer security lines and more intense screening processes.
Miami Herald journalist Michelle Kaufman posted a video of a long security line of media, volunteers, and performers at the media entrance around 8 a.m. ET. Kickoff was scheduled for 3 p.m.
“Finally in Met Life Stadiim [sic] after 3 hrs, 10 minutes in security line,” Kaufman later posted.
Around 1 p.m., the line at the media entrance still snaked through the MetLife parking lots, though it was shorter than it was in the morning. Journalists, photographers, and FIFA volunteers wearing their periwinkle and lime-green uniforms baked in the summer sun as the temperature approached 80 degrees.
At the front of the line, FIFA officials first scanned credentials, then TSA agents checked backpacks as Secret Security agents ushered people through metal detectors, then checked them with wands.
Many credentialed people, including photographers who had attended prior matches, received error messages trying to scan into the FIFA system before security. They were sent to the line snaking outside the accreditation tent, FIFA’s pickup system that resembles a DMV on the inside.
Some fans also had issues getting in. According to Sky News, security blamed glitches with FIFA’s system as they had trouble scanning tickets, and fans faced long lines and were “misdirected around the stadium.” Others didn’t wait very long. Several fans told Front Office Sports they didn’t face long lines. One said it only took about 10 minutes.
FIFA had encouraged fans and media to arrive early at the stadium, as is common for sporting events that Trump attends. When Trump went to the U.S. Open final last year, the match started about 48 minutes late as fans battled massive security lines. At the Ryder Cup, fans went through TSA-style screening at the stadium and clubhouse in addition to standard security at the entrance gates. The Knicks put in a no-bag policy for fans when Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals last month.
The match started at 3:06 p.m., slightly behind schedule, after FIFA’s lengthy pre-match closing ceremony started a bit late. Post Malone and IShowSpeed gave performances, and Jennifer Hudson sang the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
Trump will present the winner of the Spain–Argentina match with the World Cup trophy, as he did for Chelsea at the Club World Cup final last summer, which was also held at MetLife. On the way to the match, fans were handed red cards for a planned demonstration during the moment in protest of FIFA’s close relationship with the U.S. president.
FIFA is also planning a 90-minute pre-match closing ceremony as well as a star-studded, Super Bowl-style halftime show.
