Football fans traveling from New York City to MetLife Stadium for World Cup matches this summer will face a $150 round-trip fare, local transit officials said.
That price is nearly 12 times the usual $12.90 fare for the roughly 15-minute trip from Penn Station in Manhattan to East Rutherford, New Jersey. “We are going to charge $150 for our roundtrip ticket on our system. So from New York to MetLife, MetLife back to New York,” said Kris Kolluri, president and CEO of NJ Transit.
NJ Transit plans to spend $62 million on transportation for fans during the tournament, but officials say only $14 million of that has been covered by external grants. Kolluri said the higher fare is needed to cover the remaining costs. “This isn’t price gouging,” he told reporters. “We’re literally trying to recoup our costs.”
Driving will be pricier: limited parking options will be available for disabled fans at the stadium and for others at a nearby mall, with prices starting around $225 per space, according to Just Park.
Politics have followed the decision. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill defended NJ Transit on X, saying “FIFA put zero dollars towards transporting World Cup fans” and urging the governing body to cover costs. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also said FIFA should pay for transport to World Cup venues.
FIFA’s chief operating officer Heimo Schirgi criticized New Jersey’s move as “arbitrarily set elevated prices” and called demanding FIFA absorb those costs unprecedented. FIFA also noted other US host cities, including Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston, are keeping standard transit rates. Boston is an exception: officials announced express buses to Gillette Stadium will cost $95.
MetLife will host eight World Cup matches, including the final on July 19, with group-stage games featuring teams such as Brazil, France, Germany, and England.
Fan groups reacted angrily. French organization Irresistibles Francais called the train price “completely insane,” and Guillaume Aupretre warned of ongoing transportation problems. Thomas Concannon, chief of England’s Football Supporters’ Association, told the BBC that “Every single thing coming out of this tournament so far is just fans getting fleeced” and called the fare “astronomical.”
Earlier reporting has also highlighted outrage over high World Cup match ticket prices and concerns about accessibility for fans with disabilities.
Edited by: Sean Sinico