Spain soccer team staying at NJ hotel ahead of World Cup Final

One of the two remaining teams in the 2026 FIFA World Cup has become the latest to choose Montclair as its home base ahead of the tournament's final match.

>Team Spain is staying at MC Hotel on Bloomfield Avenue through the World Cup Final July 19, the facility's owner, Jeff Sica, confirmed to NorthJersey.com. The team bus arrived at the hotel around 10:30 p.m. July 15, the night after Spain's 2-0 semifinal victory over France in Arlington. Texas.

>Spain will play Argentina in the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, temporarily renamed New York New Jersey Stadium for the World Cup. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.

>The entire hotel has been reserved for the Spanish players, coaches, staff and families, Sica said. He is unsure how long the team is staying, noting that the schedule likely depends on whether Spain wins or loses the match.

>MC Hotel was already known to FIFA officials by hosting teams during the organization's Club World Cup in 2025. The hotel then underwent what Sica called a "very intensive" vetting process over the past year to determine whether it had proper security, staffing and other accommodations suitable for the much larger global event.

>The hotel has now hosted four teams during the World Cup, after Germany, England and Norway previously stayed there prior to matches at MetLife. Sica said FIFA's repeated use of the Montclair site is proof that the hotel "met and exceeded all their expectations."

>"It's a tremendous honor to have been chosen by FIFA," he said. "It's a tremendous honor to be given that level of trust."

>Having the World Cup in New Jersey has provided a unique opportunity to see different cultures and experience the passion of international fans up close, Sica said. He also highlighted the intensity of the athletes as they prepare to play in such a massive sporting event.

>"For all of these teams, this is the biggest game they'll ever play," Sica said. "To be around that energy is exhilarating."

>And the energy will remain in North Jersey for one final game, after which Sica joked that it will finally be time for MC Hotel employees to get some sleep. He credited the past five weeks for turning the Montclair venue from a relative unknown into an internationally recognized destination.

>"Across the board," Sica said, "I think everybody's just thrilled."

>This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Spain soccer team staying at NJ hotel ahead of World Cup Final