What’s the only thing worse than being at American Dream mall on Black Friday? For some, it’s not being at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is taking place right next door at MetLife Stadium this summer.
Which is why hundreds of people are expected at the shopping center bright and early the Friday after Thanksgiving — where two tickets to the world’s biggest sporting event will be up for grabs at New Jersey’s biggest mall.
As part of American Dream’s “Black Friday Dream Grab” event, 100 soccer fans will have a chance to win two tickets to a FIFA World Cup group stage game at MetLife Stadium — an estimated $3,000 value.
READ MORE: The inside story of how N.J. landed the World Cup final
What’s the catch? You have to catch them. Well, grab them. The tickets will be available in the mall’s “Human Crane” game, in which people are strapped into a harness and lowered into a pit of prizes to grab. Yep, like a classic boardwalk crane game. But with people instead of cranes.
To enter, contestants must check in starting at 5 a.m. outside the JD Sports store in American Dream. The first 100 people will be taken to the “Human Crane” for a chance at the tickets, with other prizes available including tickets to a New York Yankee game, a New York Red Bulls game, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and more. The next 150 fans will play the “Spin-to-Win” game with a slew of gift cards available as prizes — but no soccer tickets.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place this summer across North America. MetLife Stadium will host eight games, including the final. Tickets are expected to be difficult to get, and very expensive.
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