Tony Caputo

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Jul 20, 2026, 12:23 PM

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Updated

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Thousands of soccer fans are heading home through Newark Liberty International Airport after attending the World Cup final Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Many travelers are boarding international flights Monday, including fans returning to Spain to celebrate a championship and Argentina supporters heading home after a disappointing result.

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TSA officials say they prepared for the travel rush long before the tournament began and expected a heavy volume of World Cup-related departures.

Federal Security Director Tom Carter says about 78,000 passengers are expected to pass through security checkpoints at Newark Airport on Monday.

"It has been looking great all morning. I'm extraordinarily proud of this team," Carter said. "This is a two-year plan in the making."

Officials say additional TSA officers and canine teams from other airports were brought in to help handle the increased passenger volume.

Carter says those resources helped the agency efficiently process travelers throughout the morning. News 12 observed canine teams working in Terminal C as passengers moved through security.

Despite the large crowds, TSA says wait times remained manageable and operations were running smoothly.

Officials say their goal is to finish the busy World Cup travel period as successfully as they handled the tournament itself.