Forgive Gregg Schwartz for losing track of the schedule.
The director of public relations and head of sports marketing at American Dream has had a few things on his mind lately. Like 3,000 Mexico fans draped in green taking over the complex last Thursday. Like a packed arena losing its mind when the U.S. dominated Paraguay on Friday. Like the moment on Saturday, when he wandered into a crowd of Moroccan supporters wearing a Brazil jersey — and got hoisted into the air for his trouble.
It was all in good fun, he said.
Four days into Dream Fan Fest, American Dream’s 39-day World Cup celebration, the place has become exactly what everyone suspected it would be: the region’s loudest and most chaotic soccer party.
And nobody needs a ticket to MetLife Stadium to prove it.
“We wanted to get off to a good start and show the world that we’re the place to be and I think we’ve shown that,” Schwartz said.
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American Dream proved it was the place to be for international soccer before. The facility served as the unofficial fan fest for the Copa America in 2024 — which included three matches at MetLife Stadium, two of them featuring Lionel Messi — and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, which brought nine matches to MetLife, including both semifinals and the final.
So, American Dream arrived at this moment with high expectations.
Schwartz said those hopes were exceeded on the first day, when fans of Team Mexico essentially took over the building — to watch a match being played more than 2,000 miles away.
Close to 3,000 fans — a sea of green, Schwartz called it — packed Court A for a watch party hosted by media personalities Lulu and Lala. The event came with jersey giveaways, dance contests, a mariachi band and a juggling competition. Adidas, one of the festival’s marquee partners, was handing out gear left and right.
Friday night was the U.S. opener — and the arena filled up fast. Thousands of fans watched on a giant LED screen as the Americans dominated.
Saturday brought the first MetLife match day, and with it, a full-scale invasion. Brazilian fans took over The Arena. Moroccan supporters claimed Court A. Samba dancers and drummers set the tone.
The fans even took selfies together.
“It was really just a festive environment,” Schwartz said. “Everyone was celebrating together.”
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This is, of course, what American Dream is built for. It is made to serve as a meeting point for retail, restaurants, entertainment and sports.
It has hosted events with Tom Brady, the Jonas Brothers and the Giants. It has a water park, a theme park, 105 dining options including 11 full-service restaurants, and a climate-controlled arena with a screen big enough to make you forget you’re not at the stadium.
“We’re not a mall,” Schwartz said. “We’re in the entertainment business. That’s what we do.”
The World Cup is the biggest test yet — and so far, American Dream is passing it.
Having fans able to reach the complex has been the one question mark hanging over the event. MetLife match days bring massive regional traffic, and American Dream sits right in the middle of it. Transportation officials have found a balance — pushing ticketed fans toward public transit while keeping the roads open enough for non-ticketed fans to reach the complex.
So far, so good.
Schwartz, who commutes from Denville, said he made it there in 40 minutes on opening day. His advice is the same as he’d give any veteran tailgater for a MetLife event.
“Get there early,” he said.
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The calendar only gets bigger from here.
Tuesday brings France-Senegal to MetLife — and the French federation is officially pushing fans to American Dream for a pre-game party.
Wednesday features Portugal and Colombia on the screens, two countries with enormous fan bases in the region.
Thursday is Mexico night — and this time, the Mexican Consulate will be hosting an event.
And the week doesn’t stop at soccer. Gotham FC is bringing players for meet-and-greets and youth clinics, with the NWSL championship trophy on hand for photos. The Giants are activating on June 19, with alumni appearances and a pregame party hosted by iHeartRadio featuring DJ Prostyle and DJ Envy.
Friday is the one everyone’s circling.
The U.S. faces Australia in Seattle (a 3 p.m. Eastern kickoff). American Dream already is planning a party with plenty of giveaways. On June 25, for the final group-round match for the U.S., American Dream will host the the only official U.S. Soccer event on the entire East Coast that day.
“USA Soccer is getting behind us,” Schwartz said. “That says a lot about what we’re building.”
And this is just the second week.
Thirty-five days still to go. The schedule is a blur.
That’s a good problem to have, Schwartz said.
“Not to be cliché, but this has been a dream come true,” he said.
